title
A MOTION establishing the King County 2011 State Legislative Agenda.
body
WHEREAS, the King County council and the King County executive have worked together through their respective government relations staff and desire to bring their positions on issues facing the 2011 Washington state Legislature to the attention of the Washington state Legislature, and
WHEREAS, King County desires to work cooperatively with other local governments and other organizations, such as the Washington State Association of Counties, the Washington Association of County Officials, the Suburban Cities Association and the Association of Washington Cities, to achieve its 2011 legislative goals, and
WHEREAS, counties have been recognized by the state Legislature as partners with the state in the delivery of such critical services as transportation, criminal justice, public health, community and human services and water resources, and
WHEREAS, King County is dependent on a strong fiscal partnership with the state, and
WHEREAS, King County's general fund suffers from a structural imbalance between the limited revenue authorities and the growth rate of expenditures, and
WHEREAS, the ongoing national recession has resulted in dramatic budget shortfalls at all levels of government across the nation, and
WHEREAS, the dramatic downturn of the economy has magnified the general fund's structural problem as forecast sales tax and interest earnings deteriorate and the cost of providing services increases due to rising inflation, and
WHEREAS, King County's ability to deliver health care, human services, and other basic services is directly impacted by reductions in the state budget, and
WHEREAS, the state's across-the-board reductions have already affected key functions of county departments and agencies, and
WHEREAS, King County is dedicated to exploring with the state new ideas for sustained funding for critical services such as transportation, criminal justice, health and huma...

Click here for full text