A Secret King County Election Is Underway, And You Can Vote In It

SAMMAMISH, WA — There's a public agency funded by King County property owners holding an election right now — and if that's news to you, you're not alone.

The King Conservation District is collecting votes for a new board supervisor, someone who will help oversee KCD's operations and annual multi-million dollar budget, which is funded by an $8 to $10 benefit charge almost all King County property owners pay each year.

But the KCD election works kind of backwards, and it's not run by King County Elections. You have to request a ballot from KCD, and they are due by March 25.

Karen Howe, president of the Sammamish Friends nonprofit, is running for supervisor in part to boost the profile of the KCD. She points out that only 11 people voted in the last election — that's 0.00084 percent turnout of the 1.2 million registered voters in King County.

"I was stunned that property owners are paying into the KCD (a small amount called a benefit, not tax) and likely have no idea the agency exists or how to leverage it. So there's a transparency issue, a PR issue, and they're over budget, so there are operational issues," she wrote in an email to Patch.

Others have taken note of KCD's under-the-radar election problem.

"Ballots for KCD elections are by request only with most voters completely unaware of the process. It is imperative we find a legislative solution to place board of supervisor elections on the regular ballot," candidate Kirstin Haugen, a former 4Culture board member, wrote in her candidate statement.

So what does KCD actually do? Almost too much to describe here.

The agency was set up by the state in 1949 with a mission to "promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible stewardship." Over the last 70 years, that mission has evolved to mean a lot of different things.

For example, KCD operates a wetland plant cooperative, where you can get native plants in exchange for volunteering or donating gardening supplies. You can also borrow major farm equipment, or things like weed wrenchers. KCD helps distribute local, healthy food to low-income residents in Auburn with the Good Food Bag program.

"Their good intent is spread thin, watering down their potential for impact," Howe says of how well KCD programs are advertised.

The best place to start learning about what KCD does is here, where you can see the projects KCD has done in your city.

Here are all the candidates running for the supervisor position in 2019:

• Kirsten Haugen, former 4Culture board member, King County Council policy advisor
• Chris Porter, beekeeper, Seattle resident
• Mark Sollitto, former North Bend councilman, former chair of the Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Forum
• Karen Howe, King County Children and Youth Advisory Board member, Sammamish Friends president
• Rachel Malloy, a King County Master Composter, Green Redmond Partnership forest steward
• Jim Horrigan, Victory Heights Community Council member, University Sunrise Rotary Club member