You spoke! In fact, 1,440 county residents weighed-in on Metro Transit and county budget issues — a new participation record for Countywide Community Forums and double last year’s record of 766 for Round 6 in October 2010!

For Round 8 we added a special survey for unincorporated area residents to provide feedback on the county’s new public engagement model. In August, 541 residents let King County know how best to strengthen communication ties and public engagement. That brings us to a total of 1,981 surveys during eight and a-half weeks of in-person forums and online survey opportunities.

Your opinions and ideas about how best to create a sustainable budget will be compiled and presented to the King County Council in November before the Council members vote on the 2012 budget. We’ll let you know when both the budget report and findings from the unincorporated area survey are available online.

Executive Constantine’s proposed 2012 budget:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/PSB/Budget.aspx

King County’s announcement of the 2012 budget:
http://kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2011/September/26Budget.aspx

Show some of the anonymous online comments already received…

After watching the video, please click here to take the budget survey: http://ccfkc.communityforums.org/en/index/survey/

King County Budget: Achieving Sustainability Together from CCF Admin on Vimeo.

King County Budget Background Final

Selected anonymous comments from ONLINE respondents to the current survey (most recent on top):
Jump to the bottom to add your own comments.

1. We obviously have some big problems I hope that these solutions work. More money to human services in that these problems are not going away. Chemical Dependancy can not be ignored it is woven throughout all of the systems.

2. Very good information and layout of the issue. Wasn’t aware of how much has already been done to address the problem.

3. The county is facing touch times! I appreciate the care that has gone into making the cuts already outlined — seems a very thoughtful approach to streamlining and cutting extras wherever possible.

   I like what I see [in the video] — lot’s of thought and care given to these decisions, reaching out to Boeing for a process to streamline licensing, a sense of ownership in the process rather than fear/departments circling wagons against cuts (though that may be happening too). Overall, a sane, calm approach to the gap instead of panic.

4. I thought most of the revenue came from taxes. Surprised to know that Transit is such a large expenditure since fares continue to go up. I understand that something has to give, but I haven’t had a raise in two years and a very small COLA increase, while the cost of living still rises. I feel sad about the cuts in Public Health because I know so many people that depend on it for their health care needs.

5. I like the idea of improving efficiencies. Getting away from “the way we’ve always done it.” Everything should be on the table.

6. Talking parts of video didn’t add any new info that a person of average intelligence didn’t already know. It did a poor job of addressing what is DIFFERENT in the current situation because the economy is not improving as fast as was hoped. Only Kevin Desmond addressed the basic issues.

   If taxes are the only source of income for Metro, it is unrealistic to continue with this model when more service is needed because people need more service, but cannot spend more to increase tax income to the county.

   My experience with county offices is that the staff that interacts directly with the people of King County are inefficient and less than helpful. (License tabs offices are just one example.) They put in their 8 hours to get paid but don’t care whether the job is done right or not. Standing in line and listening to conversations these people have with “clients” in line ahead of me is appalling.

7. Reduce prices and allow more buses to run more frequently.

8. Sonntag and Jarret I know and respect. OK, we are in recession.

   King County transit is too expensive, too big and full of excess. Cost per hour of bus service in KC is way too high based on national comparisons.

   I’m in favor of all the listed points on cutting expenses. Wage freezes and furloughs are good tools.

   I know Desmond’s spiel well. He should not have gotten the $20 tab fee and made to sweat another year. Metro is overstaffed and overpaid.

   The licensing improvement effort — applying LEAN — described in the newspaper. This is a good initiative. I’ve worked in this area earlier in my career. It should be done in King County Metro, an overly fat target for improvement.

   Five years to achieve a new culture in Licensing — FIVE YEARS!!!! Start by firing the boss and find somebody who can make a new culture in One Year.

   Steady as she goes. The [CCF] program has become better over the years of its short life to date.

9. I have big concern for reducing services for aging. Especially, metro services being reduced. How does this affect the elderly? KC needs to connect with community orgs better. We have to work together. Find other options for revenue if construction will continue to decline. [There] has to be another solution instead of reducing healthcare to the needy.
   [I'm] not opposed to increasing licensing tax.

10. Didn’t cover Union contracts and bus drivers making $100 K a year while teachers are lucky to make $50 K a year

11. Wow, I had no clue that the debt was so significantly large. I believe our transportation system is excellent and would rather not begin to decrease services. But, I understand that to operate a transportation system as large as metro requires an abundance of capital. The best solution I have to offer is making an over all reduction in services to fill in the gap and find ways to create partnerships with community organizations.

12. It seems as though King County is effectively trying to make needed changes to their budget in order to remain an asset to the community. I ride the bus daily and cannot afford to loose my bus route. Thank you for your efforts.

13. I found the focus only on sales tax and [a] new environment because of [the] recession extremely irritating. There ARE other ways to generate revenue and it would be nice if the county were honest even if it means building consensus with legislators in other parts of the state. In other words, it tells only a small part of the story.

14. Cutting peoples paychecks cannot help the economy. It puts the working class poor more in the poor house. I’m not seeing any improvement anywhere.

15. This is now a way to shift from the metaphor of our thinking. Now we talk as though government is some type of parent to the citizens, some type of needy dependent. A more sustainable paradigm: government-citizen relationship is one of mutually supportive equals.

16. Very informative. I’m very well aware of the great job King County has done in filling the shortfalls from this economic crisis. And Metro Transit is one of the most efficiently run division of King County. Keep up information sharing with community members.

17. We need a local county economy! Apart from the ponzi federal reserve! The current economic system is designed to destroy, as Robert Kennedy said – everything that makes life worth living

    Allow the county to generate county notes based on helping society which can then be used in the county! Salaries can be paid in a combination of fed reserve notes AND king county notes!

    Eliminate ALL subsidies, tax loopholes, excemptions, etc for ANY business over 5 years old and/or with a net income of $xxx – such as Boeing, Microsoft, Weyerhouser, etc!

18. Sales tax is regressive, so increasing sales taxes hurts those with low incomes proportionately more. I don’t see a way out of this in the near term without additional sources of revenue, as many of the available cuts have already been made. Deeper cuts will continue to inhibit revenue growth (which what is needed) as core services will be affected.

    We need some new approaches to funding core and key services that will make that funding more sustainable….diversify revenue sources and aggressive use of LEAN methods seem the most feasible ideas. I’m not sure LEAN will save us enough, but we should be moving toward best practices and highest level of efficiency. Also need to continue to control employee benefit costs as we move forward….

19. Very informative. I learned a lot about General Fund funding that I didn’t know before. I really appreciate being able to take the surveys and watch the videos at home on my computer than to go out to a meeting. Thanks for giving me this option.

20. Very well produced, and very informative. There is an article in today’s Times about how well county government works because, regardless of party, all the players work together. (Witness the agreement on the $20 tabs fee for Metro) This video shows that all this can produce positive results.

    I have often wondered if a no-fare bus system is viable. There must be a considerable amount of expense to sell tickets, collect fares, do the banking, etc. A no-fare system would certainly increase ridership, and create a constituency that would vote for Metro service tax revenue.

21. OK; I see the specific steps to be taken in the 2010-11 biennium with respect to METRO Transit operations. I don’t see any proposals that address the structural issues described.

    [After watching the video] I think I understand the dilemna; thanks for a very clear, presentation of the issues.

    I am concerned that the focus of the survey is so number-driven. The questions don’t [give] any consideration of the needs of such communities as the underemployed who would be severely impacted if fares were increased or routes reduced/eliminated.

22. The elephant in the living room is revenue. My house does not produce any income, yet that is where I’m taxed. I can see being taxed for services for streets, sewers, fire and police, etc., and that that might be related to the house and street where I live. But it does not produce the money with which I can pay the taxes needed. There should be an income tax.

23. **We have to do something to create jobs, and increase comsumer spending, the two going hand in had. Until then, we will continue to fall deeper into our shortfall.

    **I have myself been affected by bus routes being cut. They have had to, in some instances, combine up to 5 routes in one! How is this going to keep people using public transit???? We are now making it harder for them to take public transportation and make the right decision to carpool if they can.

    ***PEOPLE MUST START LIVING WITHIN THEIR MEANS. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU DONT HAVE, INSTEAD WHAT YOU DO.

24. How do we balance a budget that keeps moving based on outside forces such as sales taxes and property values? Should the people who use the services be expected to pay for the services rather than being subsidised by the rest of the taxpayers?

    Garbage transfer stations should be self supporting. Most licenses or permits issued by King County should be self supporting by making sure the fees are comparable with the costs of issuing the license or permit.

25. [Video was] very interesting and informative – well written and the merging from one type of style to another is very well done.

    Since this is short, the video did mainly talk about two important issues – Metro bussing and vehicle licensing. It is interesting that the main point is how to keep the costs down in line with the decrease in revenue and Metro was granted a reprieve by the increase in motor vehicle licensing while the DOL met its goal by streamlining processing.

    However, it can become a vicious cycle when you streamline a process; positions are eliminated and there are less people spending money, paying taxes, etc. so even more streamlining needs to be done. Most people who seem to use Metro are those on the lower economic scale – unemployed, students, disabled, lower paying jobs (although I had one friend who rode Metro for over 20 years every day to work and she had a very well-paying position) and if Metro were to cut back the people who depend on the bus to get to work would be seriously impacted.

26. Your “other revenue” piece of the pie is a joke. The last time I took a survey, it was there, and I’m making the same comments here as I have before. You need to explain ‘other’ because we’re not idiots. if KC doesn’t know what ‘other’ is, I’d say case closed and problem solved.

    KC needs to figure out how to live within its means. This means all govt employees across this state get to have their salaries frozen, with no COLA until the time is again right for it. Would they rather they lose their jobs, just as the private sector has? Unions have no place left in any govt jobs; delete them as they are unneeded in today’s day and age.

    [Make] more forums available on the Eastside, on evenings and weekends. For us who work normal business hours and have small kids, its impossible to try to get anywhere by 5 pm or 6pm, especially if we live on the Eastside. [Editors note: CCF forums are designed to allow you -- and everyone else in the county -- to take responsibility for a very small group gathering (4-12 people) in your home or library or office instead of depending on KC to host a traditional public meeting. If a CCF event is not convenient for you (or your neighbors) then please do step up and schedule your own. We will be happy to send you all the materials necessary. All anyone needs is to be registered as a Citizen Councilor!]

    The survey should also allow for both what may seem a positive for the goal to be obtained, and what may seem a negative for the goal to be obtained. If we are trying to get to a real, sustainable govt, sometimes you need to make tough choices.

27. Cutting services to the rural area is not productive

28. An earnest appeal for sound funding vehicles for KC. Tough to sell new taxes in a down economy, but the reality is that citizens expect a high level of service and should be willing to pay for those benefits of living here. Taxation that hits hardest the low-income demographic should be avoided as much as possible. There has been some thoughtful cost-cutting in middle-management and increased efficiencies in many county departments, and that sends a positive signal to citizens.

29. My sense is that the “planned” expenditures never were adeqately funded.

    All bueraucracies are intrenched. The County needs to include the employees in concepts to increase productivity, but you cannot let the Union leaders be in charge of productivity improvements. Job preservation of internal King County employees cannot be the primary criteria. If we have a new normal for revenue, we need a new normal for expenditures. That means either higher productivity (like all private sector organizations strive for) or fewer services.

30. Limitation and reduction of support of transit limits and reduces access to transportation for many people in King County. Further, it increases the density of traffic.

    I’m happy to see the DOL doing some constructive strategic planning, and utilizing technology to create efficiency. I’m hopeful that this is not at the cost of those who do not have access to technology.

    What is important: health and human services. The services provided by the health and human services community is paramount to the health and safety of our County. It also limits the cost and drain of resources that will be spent needlessly without their services. Support health and human services.

31. The information does not address the Dedicated portion of the budget. It must in order to give a complete picture. I do not believe that King County listens or acts on [these] forum inputs.

32. Transit we need to support funding through taxes. Our population is NOT going to get smaller and need will be become greater. E-mail licensing is brilliant. Did it, loved it.

    I would like the more crital questions where taxes vs services are involved to allow for clarification by the participant if the wording of the selection is not fully representative of the participant’s point of view.

33. I understand that King County has a balanced budget and that’s a good thing. Long term sustainability is the goal. Short term spending cuts and fees bring stability now.

34. If accurate, this seems like a nice summary of the current pressures of the King County budget.

    I would like to have seen a more interactive graph of expenditures. The above information focuses on some key (possibly major) areas, but I’d like to have a more complete picture where money is being spent. I would also like to see more information about why expenses are increasing. 3 factors are listed, but can that really explain a yearly 5-6% growth? It seems unlikely it’s giving a complete picture.

    Also, taxes increasing less than inflation is definitely a good thing. For one, taxes are based on monetary units and incremental (ie increasing 1% every year would go from 0% to 100% in 100 years), while inflation is a comparison of the buying power of monetary units (ie what X dollars will get you this year versus last) measured year-over-year. [Tax] percentages do not need to track inflation percentages.

    While the beginning [of the video] made me worry about the financial future of King County, it ended on a note of hope. I’m still not sure how the structural gap can be overcome long-term without some sort of economic recovery or significant change in expenditures, however.

35. This information is good-however what is your plan to decrease government overall? How about lossening controls on enviromental laws? Therefore decreasing government and control enforcement. We need less government not more.

    Next what about fare increases of more than a $1 in 3 years on the Metro service? Let those who ride pay more for the service that they are using.

36. I think its about time the county starts to think outside the box. It feels to me like a bunch of rich privledged people try to make decisions to benifit themselves. I think your not reaching out far enough into the community to really access the answers your looking for. One major solution is taxing coorporations. Even millionars are asking for it. I think the county should look at international models for running government and build more realtionships with countires that thrive in sustaiable ways like Sweden. Or even learn from Cuba with an embargo has still been able to deliver services. Open the doors to educate more people to really have critical conversations. Right now masses just believe people are protecting coorporations and saving their own budgets while city people get dropped.

    Post access and information about this linked survey on the bus (espeically in at risk or marignalized communities) so riders have access to it all. Partner with unions and bus riders collectives. Put the video out in the streets so people can watch it that don’t own a computer. Display the video in public libraries, court houses and hospitals across the whole county so that everyone knows exactly what is happening. Trust needs to build through understanding with our county and right now we have a large disconnect.

    Start thinking about ride share benefits and loan partnerships to make owning a car accessible for low income families and disabled people. I ride the bus and have a card from school that makes it more affordable for me. Encourage (offer privileges or enforce it as a mandatory requirement) to business, companies, schools (pre K-college) to all partner in providing citizens with bus passes. Riders pay 25%, Commute destination pays 25% and the county pays 50% of bus fare. Seems like a win, win Win situation! Some places already pay 100% for employees bus fare.

37. I believe that it is true that general fund revenues grow at a slower rate than expenditures, but I don’t really understand why this must be the situation. This article seemed to take it for granted that it is some sort of requirement that expenditures MUST exceed revenues. But WHY?

    [These] Forums are already doing a pretty good job presenting the subject issues and then asking how we would make the hard choices.

38. My salary does not change, but everything costs more: utilities, food, medical, more and more taxes, gas… until I cannot even manage.

39. I think this was a great educational video and I hope more people can see this so they understand more how government works with money. I think working with Boeing and finding ways to collaborate with other agencies should be continued and explored now and in the future. Don’t isolate departments, integrate together. This is a money saving method.

40. I have lived here for over 20 years now, and to me it seems that every time the government, whether it be city, county or state, need money, they raise property tax. We are one of the highest property taxes in the country. People say there is no state income tax, but there are many more taxes that equate to well over some states’ income taxes. As a household, we have to learn to live within a budget, and I believe that our governments need to do the same thing. It was very encouraging to me to see that they are looking for ways to streamline operations and cut the waste. I believe that in govenment there is way too much waste and if they would be more efficient, they would have plenty of money to operate, especially as high as property taxes are.

41. Find ways to differentiate bus fare based on economic need (e.g. reduced fares for low income families). Increase fares for those who can pay for it.

42. I recognize there will always be those who need my help. What I disagree with is the number of persons our government is helping. It is important that those who can, do become self sufficient. For those who will never be totally self sufficient, they should be required to “pay forward.” If I am giving someone rent, food and health assistance, (and doing without myself) then that person should be spending their time serving someone less fortunate than themselves. The elderly and the under educated should be served by those who are being served by my money.

    For those who don’t pay taxes, I am sorry for them. For me, I am paying nearly $6000 annually in properly taxes. I want others to have to work as many hours as I do. The free ride should be over.

    Concerning Metro:
    Cutting hours and routes is never popular. However, what are your statistics concerning accidents since you have instituted your “efficiencies?” My driver said she used to get a half hour lunch in her work schedule. Now, she gets three breaks of less than 8 minutes each in a 5.5 hour shift.
    Is this legal?

43. I find it upsetting that our income model depends so much on consumer spending–how many widgets does any one person need/!

    And it is odd that with all the emphasis on education, we continually wring our hands over lack of construction jobs-duh/!

    Why not come up with a major “transportation tax” that would incorporate gas and tolls to implement to public transportation. How can you not realize the bus system is farrrrrr more important than link rail.

    I am [really] outraged over the increase in cost of the reduced senior bus pass. From $99/year to now $27/mo is like a %70 increase–about $234 more per year. How in the world to you think low income seniors on like $600 a month are supposed to pay health, food, rent, utilities and now $27 for a bus pass? What about the homeless men and women seniors who have no way to get about without the bus system? Something must be changed here!

44. I think that statistics only tell so much. I would like to see more actual videos/evidence of where King County gets its money, how it is used, and what we can actually do as community members to “achieve sustainability together”.

    [Provide] more relevancy! Statistics do not have as much value as actual examples.

45. The options generally offered in the survey questions show bias. [The] survey assumes Metro is a justifiable service, when the cost of operating Metro is so high that it seems it should be shut down. I don’t know if money is being wasted on excessive salaries and benefits, or on electric buses, or on something else, but if the unsubsidized cost is higher than driving a car, something is very wrong.

    NYC riders don’t need schedules, as the next bus/train is a couple of minutes wait. Metro takes forever to get from Maple Valley to the [downtown core]. When I drive, I can get to work in 35 minutes and home in 45. My handicapped daughter rides the bus 3 miles to Covington. It takes her 45 minutes to get home because of the infrequent service when she gets off work at 1 PM. It’s only 10 minutes on the bus but she stands waiting all that time, then has to walk half a mile at the other end.

46. The data provided in your narrative and that in your pie charts are not showing the same revenue or expenditure stream. For instance you discuss how approximately 77% of the general fund is used for public safety and criminal justice. Your pie chart (which has a difficult to read font) shows 11% of expenditures are Law, Safety & Justice. Perhaps the 77% was a typo and was intended to read 11%. If this is the case then better editing should really have been employed. [Editor's note: the 11% figure is in relation to the ENTIRE budget of $5.3 Billion -- and the 77% figure is in relation to the General Fund portion of $648.1 Million. The graphs are correct.]

    It would be helpful if you gave more flexibility in answers in the last section. You asked for why programs are important, but only one could be chosen. I think public transportation is important as a social justice tool (for low-income, disabled and seniors), has the potential to reduce congestion and can be better for the environment.

    I realize that everyone claims that there is always fat in governmental budgets, but I feel that certain departments (namely Public Health) have some very well run, efficient areas and very wasteful expensive divisions. I think performance reviews, especially for those interacting with other departments should be conducted to determine what can be made more efficient while remaining effective and in compliance with federal, state and local requirements.

47. These are all things my clients have to face everyday. They cause mental health client’s to be more likely to be hospitalized because they can not get their basic needs met in the community because we don’t have the funding to sustain it.

    I need my clients to be able to come in for their mental health services and not have to choose between eating or a bus ride for three hours and many transfers to see their mental health medication prescriber. Disabled and low income people should have the use of the bus at an affordable price. Have you ever ridden a city bus? This is not a fun time and I personally would never spend 342.00 a month for the privilege. The people that ride the bus do so because its the only transportation available other than walking.

    King county Metro is a very poorly planed operation. The services that Metro is supposed to supply are substandard. For people to get a low income or disabled bus pass they have to go to the office in seattle regardless of where they live. Pierce county has bus passes and schedules available at every Fred Meyer this makes it really easy for people to get what they need.

48. If we know what sustainability is, than why has King County government not been pushing hard for more sustainable forms of taxation from the legislature?

    The average level of spending has shrunk as low as can be expected while letting the average citizen partake in modern American society.

    Property taxes are already too high. I see families priced out of their homes by the false correlation between value and what someone paid for a similar near by home.

    Our needs will continue to be under funded if we can not enact far more progressive taxation.

    We have already cut far too much. More cuts will only hurt us more.

49. This is a very thorough summary. The realities depicted are sobering. As a society we want or think we need a lot of things that we have no plan to pay for.

50. I don’t think it’s possible to provide the human services we need to provide a safety net for those of us who are most impacted by the recession.

51. I am on a very limited budget, and do support tax increases necessary to preserve social services, transportation, and protecting the environment.

52. We need to raise taxes, reduce spending where we can until the gap gets smaller. We need to NOT cut health services because if we do that just adds to the problem with illnessess and homelessness. Possibly increase bus fair a small amount again.

    I am happy to see the county is using lean six sigma processes to fix the problems. It is a process that really works.

53. Do not cut health and human services. I think King County is doing a great job overall.

54. In the background information, and in this video, I see many excuses. I see around me in construction etc. paid for by the county, extravagant expenses. Huge amounts of money going into projects we don’t really need, while we hear fear tactics from county government needing to cut much needed programs in education and safety, emergency services etc.

    Run the county like you would your household. When funds are low, don’t buy decorations, and build bike paths and overpasses that aren’t absolutely needed. Sure many of these things are nice to have, and the time will come, if we spend frugally now, we can fund these “nice” things. Right now we need only the bare essentials, so people in our community don’t go hungry, without shelter and medical care, passable roads etc, while others can have convenient items, like special trails, overpasses and pretty artwork.

    Cut the fat!! Go through your budget again, as if it were your own household and you just got a huge salary cut. What would you need to provide your own family, what wouldn’t you need?

    It’s been tight for all of us. Your constituents have cut their own spending (by your graphs), we expect the county to do the same, but don’t take or threaten to take the things we need most, and for which the government per our consiitution is responsible.

    As far as raising funds, stop penalizing small businesses for becoming successful. Encourage small business growth.

    I also see waste in our county government from the “good ole buddy” network. Projects funded and passed etc, laws bent, to accomodate large businesses and friends of council members, while smaller farms and businesses are further penalized.

    I am having a hard time believing most of what you are presenting here, because in the past, your actions have spoken much louder than your words.

55. As a state we need to look at our way of funding government. Our tax system is highly regressive. We tend to focus, because of short falls, on short term results. We put money into prisons instead of education, for example. We need to keep our transit system up & running and improving, because we need people out of their cars. Sales tax funds metro? Crazy! When will we look as a state at an income tax, with $ going to local gov’t as well as the state? I know this doesn’t answer the short term question. Unfortunately, increasing metro fares is again regressive – taxing those who take the bus because they have no other choice. More crowded buses increases the chance that someone in a wheelchair will have to wait for multiple buses before finding one that has a free wheelchair space.

    Taking away the ride free zone is a very short sighted decision – people who take the bus down town to shop won’t be able to move around town to a variety of stores. People won’t shop on their lunch hour. Less sales tax.

    Improving on line access to get things like licenses is a good move. Using technology should help decrease costs.

56. I whole heartedly agree that the income sources need to be changed or diversified. It is inappropriate to base the budget on continued construction of new housing. New and more diversified sources are needed – I am not opposed to higher auto licensing fees, or other fees.On the other side, the expenditures need to be closely monitored. I get very upset when I read about all the overtime collected by deputies, etc. – - why aren’t more deputies hired instead? I think that would be a better use of our money. More of the health care costs should be born by the employees – working for a private employer I pay more than $500 a month to cover myself and dependents, along with a $3000 family deductible. And I don’t buy the arguement that public employees earn less so they deserve richer benefits. The pendulum needs to swing more in favor of the employer – the county – instead of the unions and the bloated contracts they have managed to negotiate over the years – they need to accept the new normal too.

57. Why [was] Seattle Times [allowed by the city] to have a 40% BO tax break?? Why are large corporations the top of the pecking order while small businesses and the average worker gets it in the end? Such as public transportation, its needed, and must have stable funding its part of our infrastructure, in order for Seattle to become a viable destination port for goods, services and tourisim we must have infrastructure, and public transportation is part of this.

    [Stop] asking about if getting rid of ride free is okay, it’s a mess, if any of you rode the bus in the areas I do daily you would see the abuse I see the drivers have to deal with as they leave S. Main, or Bell street, from verbal to threats. Grow a pair, and stop making our transportation system a pawn, its part of our infrastucture and is needed.

58. Transportation. Need to eliminate routes that are the same or close to the same with Sound Transit.

    Need to outsource garbage collection to Waste Mgt. thus less need for support dept that service those employees.

    Need to revist how you set compensation. Majority of County positions are filled from local taxpayers, not other large counties from other states.

    Employees need to pay at least 12% -15% of the monthly permium for health care which is what other publice agencies in the area are doing. This is in addition to deductibles and co-insurance (see state of Washington medical plan for their employees i.e. 15% co-insurance up to a dedctible of $2000. The county needs to get a handle on this immediatley.)

    Sheriff Dept needs a complete overall in what positons require uniformed personnel and which jobs can be done be civilians.

59. It looks like the Metro Transit Plan is a responsible reasonable response to our current situation.

    It looks like there have been and will continue to be uncomfortable decisions to be made. I am relieved to see that there are steps being taken towards streamlining processes within departments. The case of the Department of Licensing process was very apparently in need of some serious streamling, I hope that the current $$ shortage can realize some benefits in the elimination of some of the unneeded steps in processes throughout the county government. Unfortunately for some of the staff, eliminating all the extra steps will also eliminate the need for some FTE positions. Justifying those positions in the first place may be why there are all those extra steps built into the process. During these lean times, we need to cut costs while keeping service levels as high as possible.
    I suggest eliminating positions that are filled by the more expensive employees, if there are qualified employees that can get the job done at a significantly lower salary, when it comes to that. Get rid of the dead wood and only keep the employees that are fully engaged in their public service occupation.

60. This state needs to initiate a state income tax and give monies back to the various Counties proportionate to the state taxes generated by that county.

    I am delighted somebody pointed out Lack of Revenue is the issue not deficits… People need to work to have money, if jobs would be caused by businesses given more ways to “save $” (tricklel down).

    Same thing for people- unemployment is not a scam to get government to pay but it is the reason folks can’t spend money (they don’t have) and support (people don’t take buses to go to work to make money) Sales tax can’t stay high without spending, no spending without jobs.

    I love the idea of lean, not gutted.. Good thing Seattle/King Co is so smart. Trust citizens and prioritize people… convenience might be a bit stimied but vital services are preserved.

61. Chart changes involving “main pressures” a little fast, music a little too loud. Nice job segwaying the interviews with the charts. I’m very proud to reside in a county that has such a robust mass transit system as well as a excellent library system.

    Long Term Structural Deficit Solution:
    Continue cost cutting measures including; creation of volunteers that conduct annual efficiency audits of each department. Reduce funding dependencies from sources affected by economic volatility.

    Focus on facilitating small business creation. Goal “make KC the easiest, friendliest and most favorable locale in which to create and grow a business in the nation.”

62. Metro should be getting much more money than it is now. The group “general government” in the first pie chart should be more descriptive so I know what that entails. Overall I love the metro system and I know a lot of people who rely on it and raising the fairs this year was a move that obviously makes a lot more money for the metro but is harder on those riding.

    Why have construction rates gone down so heavily even after receiving stimulus money from Obama. Why must the government increase expenditures by 6% every year. Metro has obviously gone to the greatest lengths to streamline their expenditures and because of that the state should recognize the efforts of the county and allow them to get more funds from taxes.

63. I believe County employees must contribute to their health care. I would also like to review their retirement benefits.

    I think the salaries are inflated as well as the overtime. It seems much could be done to cut costs in administration.

    I think the new Rapid Transit buses from Bellevue to Redmond are a waste. There are so many other places that have limited service and servicing Microsoft should be the last place we service. They have their own mode of transportation with their connector buses.

64. LEAN – great process for licensing and one that can be expanded to other service areas. Diversifying revenue sources should also be a priority.

65. It is quite obvious that Safety and Security consumes almost 75 percent of the General fund. Is this fair, while cutting to slash desperately needed services. What kind of society are we, spending finite and precious dollars locking up people for little crimes, and protecting “property” rather than investing in people. Why can’t we just focus [on] dangerous criminals? The Police Union is so powerful that politicians are afraid of them.

    When we start investing in people from the cradle we will yield results.

    In terms of revenue shortfall, generally speaking, our problem locally as well on the national stage is Revenue problem not a Spending problem. We would need to look for new ways to raise additional revenue, otherwise, the downhill spiral will not stop until we hit rock botton and begin to dig.

    Our infrasture is aging and we are benefiting from the investment of “the greatest generation” whose earning power was miniscule compared to ours today. Yet they believed in country, they believed in community and banded together to take major risks and make society a better place. They lived simply but well.

    Now we can’t even maintain our roads, but build mega-mansions that we can’t afford. Small business and local inductry is dying making way for mega-industries that don’t even care about the people. We should support small business instead of the big corporations who have lost their sense of loyalty to the nation. Our tax system sucks, it is so regressive.

    Take care of country and the people and see how our influence around the world grows. We witnessed it during the Kennedy era with the peace corps. The global econony does not mean we neglect home and country.

    We need a cultural shift mentally that would influence where [we] put our dollars and cents. Our lenses should be cleared to see what is actually important. Stop bickering locally and get to work, maybe it will spill over to Washington.

    Let us build people, let us build community, let us make government stronger. Government is not the problem it is the people we elect.

    Thank you Community Forums, however, because of your county-wide reach, I would like to suggest that you, I implore you, to embark on a journey to educate. Civics is no longer taught in schools and asking people to comment on things they have no clue about can sometimes prove to be dangerous. I am not saying people should not have a voice. However, the collective voice has to be for the common good, not me, myself and I.

    I have seen improvements in the survey. Your visit to my church was productive in that it opened the eyes of some folks in poorly represented areas to ways of being engaged in civic discussions that could potentially affect their lives.Poor and middle class folks are so busy that engagement is sometimes difficult. With kids and after school activities, families are exhausted. So taking the forum to them was a great idea.

    Thank you. You rock!

66. It sounds good, but it always does, doesn’t it? The poor suffer. More and more, they suffer.

67. Good education tool on budgeting challenges county is facing. Wondering how much was spent making this – just saw underwritten by Dick’s.

68. Furlougs cost us more than it saved. If bus routes become less effecient, less will use it. Maybe we need to discuss the [free ride] zone.

    I really think that King County hires too many consultants to come in and “evaluate” efficiencies. In most cases, the employees themselves are more prepared to answer these questions and the outside consultants seem to always have alterior motives. Use the brains that you have working for you – don’t waste thousands of dollars over and over again to hire people who have no vested interested in how things are really managed at the county. Your employees are your best asset!

69. This is a step in the right direction. One thing I didn’t notice was comments/interviews from the private sector, consumer & business on what works for them…

70. Good information for uniformed citizens. Well written in a clear and direct format with the right amount of details. Inclusive and brief.

    [Video] repeats the prior review information. Interviews say little and go on too long.

    As for my response – more individual responsibility example car owners pay their own gas, taxes, maintenance, insurance, cleaning etc. bus riders should have some accountability too.

    Society has become spoiled expecting others to take care of them.

    We are one of the most expensive areas to live – how do other counties nationwide compare? How do they afford services and what level are they providing?

    Money being spent has not decreased in my life – I still make the same amount and spend the same amount. It has just been re-prioritized – more affordable housing, less eating out, higher insurance, utilities, gas and education expenses.

    The question on how much you would pay to ride a bus has too many contingencies. If I just had to go to court I would pay more for a one time convenience than if I was a monthly rider to my job. Also, most employers downtown Seattle pay better and also provide bus passes – the higher fare is not a negative compared to expenses of driving and parking.

71. We all need to live within our budget and that includes government. We all have to learn to live with the “new normal”. It’s not going to be pretty.

72. Great video. Easily understandable content on very complex issues. I still don’t have a clear understanding of why with bus ridership up, we still are having a shortfall? Is it because the fare does not cover the costs of a rider? What would be helpful is to understand what the actual cost of a ride is and compare that to the fare.

73. Kind of “peppy” music for such strong words of recession at the beginning unemployment rate, new construction and consumer spending data is compelling.

    What is the 28% of other revenues? Would be great to know how this chunk is broken down.

    Annexation is mentioned several times as putting strain on the budget. What is KC’s role in promoting annexation while Seattle and Burien (for N Highline anyway) have been less then active/able to declare a PAA?

    Metro cuts- the community spoke and the $20 tab fee was a good move. For the future though, it’d be good to ensure race/social equity principles are considered for other transportation cuts

    Labor reform- impressive

    Partnerships with non profit orgs for some cost services? Perhaps they can do things more affordably than the County?

    Good example with drivers license efficiency

    The questions are complicated- any way to make them simpler choices? For instance, I can’t imagine how someone who is a non-native English speaker could understand all the questions.

74. Great video…motivating music, good info from people interviews, great [graphics.] Good info…but tough to swallow. Reducing the transportation/[buses] is not good. Trying to find a soulution is the main reason we are taking this survey, I guess.

    How are small bus routes being addressed or not. Could a community or non-profit group buy a bus you have in surplus, and start using it for transportation needs?…

75. Stream-of-consciousness thoughts: Tim Eyman. People unwilling to pay taxes (especially when the money helps Seattle—transit, social services, etc.); propaganda and distrust of government. Corporations not paying their share of taxes.

    Why all the emphasis on new construction? We have empty buildings and lots. Ballard was ruined by greedy developers, while the Central District, where I live, remains underserved. (We need a Fred Meyer or similar superstore in the South End—at the Dearborn Goodwill site. But racism, greed—everyone’s falling all over themselves to serve the rich neighborhoods.)

    Why do we have ONLY sales tax income (paying for Metro)?

    Good job restructuring the DOL. That has been very convenient and sensible.

76. I’m wondering why the expenditures must grow 6% when inflation is very low? This seems unreasonable!

77. I don’t think that metro should cut any more service, because a lot of people depend used metro to get back and forth to work.

78. Why so much for transit services. The busses do a lot of damage to the roads. Fewer busses will result in safer streets with less damage to cars from all the potholes.

    Push for the Passage of the Jobs Bill. More people with jobs will bring in more revenue.

79. This video is excellent. To hear from the licensing department that efficiencies are happening is excellent. I think Dow Constantine and Fred Jarrett are instrumental in helping us cope with the new normal. I will send this questionnaire and video to friends.

80. I think we need to narrow down the scope of expenses, and revenue. We need to have a more meticulous approach to finance. A double digit “other” column should never exist on a financial statement.

81. Its great to see the thought process of the administrators in that they are thinking ahead and planning- not sure if 61% of the budget should go to transit. Would like to see more spending in services for our youth and seniors such as the MLK Fame program

    [These forums] should be used more than just when we are in crisis- as it is very informative and useful- it allows those of us fortunate enough to be working to be able to participate in the decisions being made that impacts us- wonderful idea!

82. Helpful to see the budget issues explained simply. Good to see what DOL is trying to improve.

83. Thank you for a simple and complete overview of King Counties finances. We live in a very difficult time financially and our system of taxation, as well as our attitudes toward paying taxes, makes that doubly difficult.

    Again, I appreciate the care that has gone into helping me get big piture of the finances of King County. It is clear to me that there are no easy answers but that with focused thinking and analysis small changes could have a cumulative impact.

84. There is no emphasis on getting government out of the subsidy business. The government is trying to do things it should have nothing to do with.

85. Very helpful in understanding the challenges faced by our county. I didn’t realize how much was spent on transit related to the rest of the King County Budget.

    Great job on the video – reinforcement of the problem of unstable funding base, solutions presented to reduce redundancy and increase efficiency in Records and Licensing. I also feel like our leaders are interested in our input.

    I think that you could have presented the demographics on who rides the busses and what their average income is. Also, you didn’t discuss what will happen if ridership goes down because of changes to services and/or cost of bus passes. Are you factoring that into the funding? Will the tax on gasoline, parking, and other related transportion make up for the loss of riders? And how will the increase in cars on the road impact the condition of roads? It is a very complex issue indeed.

86. I think that maintaining a sustainable budget throughout King County is absolutely key in repairing the economic status of our city and state.

87. I believe we need to figure out how to get people jobs. Tax revenue will increase. I like the fact that we are looking at ways to do business differently and more efficiently.

88. I believe most people are not aware of what responsibiilites KC governement has in the region. As an employee for over 15 years I was aware of most of this information, but it was good to read again.

    I like the idea of the Lean program. However, I found the Lean program to only be as effective as the staff members who participate. Therefore, although great statements were made about its effectiveness, the reality is it was a huge waste of time and resources. The areas identified to improve had been reported previously to managment. If managment was accountable to do their job, the Lean program would not have been implemented. Bottom line, we need more accountabliltiy and oversight. Keep up the good work, getting the community involved in our local government.

89. Good recognition of the problem, but the proof will be in the change in culture. There is not a willingness on the part of the front line people to change the model. The attitude is not customer focused and [there] is still a lack of williness to be creative.

90. It sounds like we are facing a tough budget situation, but on the positive side there appear to be several “levers” or places where changes could be made on both the revenue and cost sides.

91. Topic was presented well. I would be in favor of a state income tax, a straight percentage of personal income. But… the sale tax has to be lower. Our sales tax is too high. Most of my shopping is done online now to avoid the sales tax. I’m sure this true for many consumers. I think if our sales tax were lower consumers would spend their dollars in WA. and this would stimulate some of our spending.

    I would like to see a video made on how our health care dollars are spent. Billions of dollars could be saved if we examined end of life health care spending. We spend millions caring for the “living dead.” Our medical technology has surpassed our common sense.

92. Excellent presentation with a full analysis of our dilemma.

    Yet I personally feel that our elected officials have run out of knowledge about how to solve the financial crisis. We must become more compassionate and tell the general public that many jobs are not returning & we must accept that simple truth. Our society has a “greed” mentality interwoven with an “us against them” approach to problem solving. We are forced to reduce personal spending, however, those who are more monetarily secured feel “put upon” when asked to sacrifice too.

93. I know that times are tough and I value the hard work done to keep the county running. I do know that we need to take care of our citizens and programs like Mary’s Place does that for homeless women does great work.

94. It is a good feeling to have confidence in the leaders of your community. Planning to live within our means is important. Huge challenges. Saving metro transit system was assertively put out to the people to voice their opinions on. Great education of the public to think in terms of a new normal. Seattle has a reputation amongst the homeless as a city that offers a lot to this population. I volunteer as a nurse at Mary’s Place and hear this from women all the time. It makes me proud of my city.

95. I think if all the agencies of King County Government would follow the ‘baby steps” of the Licensing Department by doing their business more efficiently, like e-mailing or phoning where possible, instead of sending letters, and streamlining where they can – a lot could be accomplished. Many little accomplishments soon add up.

    Cutting social services is not the answer. Balancing the budget on the backs of the poor isn’t either.

    Thinking outside the box is good. Also, checking out what other large populous counties, both inside Washington state and maybe even Portland and San Francisco would be a good idea. Portland – our arch rival?? Horrors! Yes, Portland, who is so much more progressive than Seattle it is amazing. Maybe we could glean from these cities some new insights and find some creative ways to help with King County’s budget dilemma.

    And for heaven’s sake STOP THE DITHERING! Make a decision and go with it.
    If it’s the right decision – good for you. If it’s the wrong decision – stop and either
    go to plan B or start over. But DO SOMETHING!!!

    Be more open about what some of the terminology used means to a person who is not very familiar with county government.

    How about the re-do of the waterfront area after the viaduct is torn down? Is that going to be a King County project, a U.S. Transportation project, a Washington state project, or a combination of all three?

96. It appears that the core issue for our failing system is that people have voted “no” to any increase in taxes. I suppose you could say that the initiative process is democratic. However, I feel that many decisions should be decided by the Legislature.

97. I have a greater understanding of the complexity of the funding problems. I am for proper levels of funding for the county’s needs, but I think that serious scrutiny of “needs” would result in the elimination of some truly ‘unneeded’ services.

    Again, I am impressed with the difficulty of weighing through the complex work of restructuring programs in order to make them more ‘sustainable.’ Necessity is making the work of restructuring of programs and budgets an ongoing process. Please keep up the hard work and communicating with the citizens about the problems ‘we’ are facing.

98. 1st – well done. wasn’t sure I really wanted to watch a budget video but you kept me engaged and provided good info.

    2) I’m a little intimidated by being asked “what should we do.” It feels downright overwhelming when there’s so much need…hardly know where to begin. SO – i appreciated the Licensing LEAN portion of the video. You have to start somewhere…so looking at the “new normal” and figuring out how to streamline services to weed out redundancy, have well trained employees, etc are good starts!

99. Budget cuts are scary. Unemployment is scary. The economy is scary.

100. Like it or not there are going to have to be major changes to the tax structure state wide. Some years ago we lived in an area with high property taxes, high sales taxes and a graduated state income tax. Our schools were well funded, the infrastructure was good and well maintained, social agencies worked efficiently and there was not a continual worry about running out of money. It is unrealistic to suppose that we can continue to maintain top quality services if we are not willing to pay for them. I don’t like being taxed any better than anyone else, but in a democratic society that is the price we pay and how we pay it.

101. Wondering why we only look for more efficient ways to do things when there is a funding crisis. Using the DOL process as an example, it was surprising that it hadn’t occurred to them to use email and electronic communication as a matter of course.

102. No surprises as I keep up with what is happening in the economy. I agree that public transportation should be preserved, particularly as gas prices have risen. I have no problem paying a $20 user fee to support public transportation. Although now retired, I am in healthcare and have used lean methodology and approve of the efforts to use lean. Savings from lean must be monitored and the lean methodology needs reinforcement over time. Unfortunately, I think taxes need to be raised to help with the shortfalls.

103. Good information; the video paints the complex issues for managing the MLK County budget. Boy, it’s multifarious. In addition, I gained a sense why I gave a below average rating for County-Wide services offered. What happens behind the scene to drive decisions isn’t, for the most part, public knowledge. Therefore, I make guesses, aligned with assumptions that some groups are highly favored over others.

     I would advise the County to do more of these broadcast, maybe do information nights as a way informing community members how priorities are established which lead to negative and positive well-being outcomes. Truth builds and maintains relationship and if this goal was reached my rating would change. Also, it would be helpful if the public had access to the final budget so that details of expenditures are known beyond the headings or categories.

104. I think [the video] was “eye-catching” and informative and gave me a better idea of how the budget shortfall process impacts our county services and what is being done to lessen the impact and plan more wisely for future fiscal security. Personally, I’m fine with paying more taxes IF there are corresponding measures to stretch additional dollars further by reasonable means of reducing waste of time/resources and smarter management practices. Using electronic means (website, email ) to interact with public is one way to save on hard costs and a very good idea.

105. Excellent video: gives the viewer a sense of the problems and portrays those executives shown as thoughtful folks. The problems will only grow as the population increases so solutions will have to be flexible. In this modern society, people at the lower end of the scale must be cared for and the funds have to come either from profitable investments (ha), fees for service or taxes.

106. An excellent overview. I am so proud of the Council for stepping up and saving Metro. I liked the segment about the improvements to the department of licensing. I would have liked to hear more about human service cuts and the impacts to our poorest citizens.

107. Need to cap County employee salaries (including benefits) at a maximum of 90% of the equivalent private sector position. This should include Council members and their staff.

     All County functions except police and fire should be placed by competitive bid with private business. Parks should be run by corporate and community sponsors; owned by them with the use of the land and facilities constrained by protective covenant.

     The phrase “Physical Environment” means nothing to me. If you mean roads it’s one thing. If you mean DDES–that boondoggle needs to be disassembled and farmed out to private engineering firms like we did during the building boom. They were just as effective and twice as fast.

     The County has no business in the health and public welfare business except perhaps drainfield design approval, which should be done by private engineers anyhow. Same goes for providing free or cheap housing for indigents. Why create a haven inducing an influx of needy people drawing off County resources? The market has created high housing costs in the County. Why is it our moral duty to make it possible for people who can’t afford it to move here? Are these somehow more desirable residents?

     Wow. 11% for “General Government”. Really? Governing what? Law, Safety and Justice are under a separate heading so what the hell is left to “govern”? That is a ridiculous amount of money to spend predominantly on butting in to other people’s business.

108. The video goes a little fast for an old guy like me. But I have no qualms about the way you’re spending your money, and I have no sympathy for Tim Eyman, and those like him who seem to want to strangle local and state governments fiscally.

     I’ve recently retired, and am riding my bicycle for exercise on county roads. I’m getting to know more of the county outside the metropolitan areas, and I’m totally surprised, pleasantly so, by the number of parks, bike paths, and great county roads.

     I value what county government has done for the quality of life here, as well as for key services, and I don’t begrudge paying more taxes to make that sustainable. The recession has hit many others harder than it’s affected me and my wife. So I understand why some others may not agree with me about that.

109. I like that Boeing sent a methodology expert to the records & licensing offices to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

     I also like that the county is asking ‘regular’ folks what they think, and they are stepping out of their bubble as Fred Jarrett says.

     During the early 2000s, there was so much waste & spending…too bad we have to overcorrect to balance and sustain but that’s what happens when you spend too much money.

110. King County public employees need to accept that they cannot have COLAs during this time. Our housing prices are not going back up in many areas of King County, therefore many services covered by various forms of property taxes are not going back up anytime soon and we cannot afford to pay them so much while the private sector workers are often out of work. The county also needs to consider more layoffs again. The Budget should focus on providing ONLY THE MOST NECESSARY SERVICES, and the environmentally correct “sustainable building” is not what we need right now–they add to initial cost of structures and it takes many years to see any benefit. Please cut underutilized Metro routes. Urban unincorporated communities like mine (Fairwood) need to annex to a nearby city if this is possible, as soon as possible. I would be willing to annex to KENT instead of RENTON if possible.

111. The structural gap is alarming! I was a part of the issue for two years, as I was unemployed for that long.

112. Looks like transit is a large input of revenue. Many times I see buses (especially in the evenings) which are holding only a handful of riders. Perhaps, using smaller buses would help. No doubt, buses are much needed, but it is such a waste to see large buses running without riders.

113. closing of some social service buildings forcing homeless to go to city buildings that require security that inhibits entry by people who carry all they own on them. Multiply this by the cut in transit in the ride-free zone and you have further made it difficult for people who already have issues.

114. We need jobs. It seems that unemployment is causing a crisis on many levels. We need adequate, stable, dedicated funding for community health and human services.

115. Expenditures for the Physical Environment seem exorbitant; property taxes have been gutted, they’re just too low. It’s time to bite the bullet and accept that revenues need to be made the top priority and we need to poay for the mistakes of the past. Raise my taxes.

116. main pressures – wages & benefits too high; w/ all the surplus labor a 5% or 10%reduction in compensation would not jeopardize the county! look to the private sector and see how they manage their businesses! I ride the bus w/ a handful of county employees and there’s very little “ownership” or desire to exceed, just put in the time – you get paid either way!

117. Revenue … make the taking structure broader and fairer so that it becomes more sustainable and reflective of all of King County’s resources.

     Spending … support small business jobs for it increases the tax base; and provide support those folk who are most vulnerable for they costs us more resources by ignoring them.

     I believe county government does need a “we can do” attitude but so do the tax payers of King County

118. the budget is larger and more complicated than I expected. The county has more departments and provides more services than I realized

119. I did not realize that the County’s fiancial situation was as bad as it is. This video is well put together. The Metro dilemma is well described to continue to provide adequate service to Metro bus riders by adding fee to License Tabs.

120. First 2 minutes plus graphs are very helpful.
     Nine Minutes the showing of the diagramming the inefficiencies of a process was very enlightening.

     Good video – very helpful in explaining in layman terms the financial issues.

     I think you have really honed in on these surveys the past couple of years. I am happy with your work.

121. Let the scouts and hiking groups and the sports groups …adopt a park and maintain them…. people working together for a common good….
     people adopt the roads ways to clean them…
     Let schools have carnivals and activities that raise money for extra things needed in the schools… bringing them together.. for service… and caring…
     Helping one another in the neighbors again… we need pride brought back to our communities… and people there for the children… parents are working so much… their kids have no one… and then they get into trouble…
     volunteers…

     You must care too!

122. I liked the opening with all the words. It explained what a sustainable budget it. The first set of charts did not tell me anything I didn’t know about the fall economy. It excplained well the main pressures. The pie charts were very well done to show where money expenditures go. The music was upbeat to keep it interesting and the graphics done well. Most people don’t understand what the general fund it – they think all taxes go to all things. The structural gap was explained well – but still didn’t explain general fund vs. water fund or road funds whihc can only be used there (so people only see what they pay in certain areas for taxes and don’t understand you can’t borrow from one fund for another fund.)

123. This seems to disregard the magnitude of the King County expenditure on the criminal justice (jails, courts, etc.). How can we change this so that the money is more oriented towards positive services that keep people out of the system?

124. I’m not sure if any major issues were missed, but holy [****]! It’s crazy to me that we’re asking people if the users of Metro should pay for the full costs of running the system. Okay, so some people might think that, but who cares?! If people have to pay for the full costs of running a transit system, why even have it at all?

125. Efficiency is the key! The county budget is composed of two types of funds: dedicated funds and the general fund. By law, dedicated funds can be utilized only for specific purposes, such as transit, sewage treatment, and voter-approved programs. Dedicated funds are the largest portion of the county budget, at 87% or more than four fifths of the total budget.

     If we are to talk about a budget then it should be examined in it’s entirety. Although it’s purpose is mandated by law, we need to see how efficient that part of the budget is and how it’s being spent. I would like to see the KC Executive have a new initiative to find efficiencies in the dedicated part of the budget and produce cost reductions. What I have heard from King County Council is, “hands off; we will have to change legislation and some of that funding comes from federal sources”. Let’s see how efficent the dedicated part of the budget is and let the public see. Maybe it’s possible to pass a new King County law where dedicated funds that are saved can go into the general fund? Let’s lay it all on the table.

     Lets look at the total budget, dedicated and the general fund and lets find the efficiencies in the dedicated fund. I am not saying cut programs in the dedicated budget but what we need is oversight and see where we can save tax dollars and perhaps apply them to the general fund. Legislation would have to be passed and I would like to see the Executive have an initiative to find the efficiencies within thededicated fund. A citizen budget commission is needed to review and make public the dedicated budget information and findings on where money could be saved.

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