Warning of storm ahead, King Co. Exec delivers 'State of the County'
KING COUNTY, Wash. - In a State of the County address from King County Executive Dow Constantine, the outlook ranged from gloom to a new horizon.
Executive Constantine used the moment in time to pitch a re-imagined King County campus, offering a solution to lingering revenue concerns by transforming county-owned properties into a mixed-use building.
Aggrieved by the idea that some of the most valuable property in Seattle is used for 9–5 work, Constantine pitched the council on a deal with Sound Transit to build a new light rail station on county property, and re-tooling the land for residences and businesses on top of county offices.
It’s one of several key moments in a 20-minute speech aimed at some of King County’s most pressing topics including property taxes, behavioral health, homelessness and public safety.
PROPERTY TAXES
Inflation has hit millions of Americans, and Constantine noted the county is in a tough spot.
Warning that essential services could be on the chopping block without increases to revenue, Constantine noted the biggest issue facing the county is a 1% cap on local property-tax growth – a rule set in place 20-plus years ago by the Legislature.
"Cuts will have to come from the general fund budget, which does not have a lot of room to work with," Constantine warned, noting 75 cents for every dollar is dedicated to state-mandated criminal legal system costs.
Constantine called on the Legislature to act on House Bill 1670, which passed out of committee this week, but faces a cutoff of Wednesday night. If a vote does not take place to pass the bill on the House floor, things will stay put. If passed, HB 1670 allows tax districts to ask for a larger hike, up to 3%.
Items were listed by Constantine as critical investments that were at risk—local sheriff’s deputies, public health clinics, programs that keep people out of the criminal legal system, environmental protections and help for survivors of domestic abuse.
"We even stand to lose funding our elections staff needs to protect our democracy," said Constantine.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Constantine used the State of the County address to pitch would-be voters on the Crisis Care Centers levy, up for vote next month in a special election.
The measure would create five new regional care centers at a time that 2.3 million residents of King County are served by a single 46-bed crisis center. According to the county, there are a total of 244 residential treatment beds in the county, down from 355 in 2018, despite a population increase.
The cost to fund the levy comes down to 14.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value on property owners. The median-priced home in King County is listed as $694,000 – a cost of $121/year in taxes if passed.
"How many people are in a jail cell when they need to be in a treatment bed?" questioned Constantine. "With this levy, we can chart a new course by building a network of five crisis center across the county—including one exclusively for youth—where people can get immediate help."
HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
The men and women living on the streets of King County were the first topic broached by Constantine on Tuesday afternoon, who called it "the crisis of chronic homelessness."
Two years prior, Constantine announced the "Health Through Housing" initiative with the acquisition of a hotel to be used as housing. Since then, the county has purchased 10 additional properties, adding room for 600 unhoused individuals in the county’s stable of housing.
A number of achievements were celebrated, including funding for 640 homes that went to veterans in the past calendar year.
Constantine also announced that work with south county cities will start again, moving people from encampments along the Green River into housing.
"It’s just the beginning," said Constantine. "These folks aren’t just getting shelter. They’re getting the security of a home, a bed to return to at night; a launch pad to begin a new chapter."
PUBLIC SAFETY
In late 2022, a deal with the union for King County Sheriff’s Office was announced that included body-worn cameras.
At today’s talk, Constantine said body cameras and dash cameras would be rolled in the next few weeks. He also noted that 55 deputies were hired last year.
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The executive also touted 750,000 fentanyl pills that were intercepted through various investigations by the Sheriff’s Office. Another 10,000 people received some form of treatment through Public Health, while Human Services staff distributed more than 13,000 overdose prevention kits.