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AN ORDINANCE establishing the King County commission on governance.
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PREAMBLE:
King County has been a home rule county since the freeholders wrote and the voters approved the county charter in 1969.
Section 800 of the King County Charter requires that at least once every ten years, the executive appoint a charter review commission of at least fifteen citizens with at least one from each geographic council district to review the charter and make recommendations on charter changes.
Since the voters approved the county charter in 1969, the county charter has been reviewed by a charter review commission four different times: 1970-71, 1976-77, 1987-88 and 1996-97.
Since King County was organized in 1852, the government has undergone numerous internal reorganizations to streamline departmental operations and create efficiencies in an effort to adapt to the public's need for services.
In 1992 the voters of King County and the city of Seattle voted to approve the merger of King County government and Metro. The merger involved a two-year transition and took effect on January 1, 1994.
State law and the county charter establish separate branches of county government. The legislative branch has a thirteen-member elected county council. The executive branch has an elected county executive. The County also has a separately elected assessor and sheriff. The prosecuting attorney is also a separately elected county official. In addition, under state law, the county supports the functions of the superior and district courts, each with elected judges.
The legislative branch is the policy making body and possesses powers to, among other things, adopt and enact ordinances, levy taxes authorized by the state, appropriate revenue, adopt budgets and adopt labor policies.
The council has adopted several labor policies providing general and specific direction to the executive for negotiating labor agreements and operating county government.
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