King County Approves $16.2B Biennial Budget

KING COUNTY, WA — The Metropolitan King County Council on Tuesday approved a $16.2 billion budget for the next two years, finalizing big investments in clean energy, affordable housing, public transit, community safety and behavioral health programs.

The final version of the budget added an extra $76 million to King County Executive Dow Constantine's initial proposal, including $35 million for supportive housing, homelessness and mental health initiatives.

"This budget is a map of King County’s values – prioritizing investments in our environment, in prosperity, and in communities and populations farthest from opportunity, access, and justice – to make ours a welcoming community where every person can thrive," Constantine said in a statement. "This budget allows us to not only continue transforming the way government operates, to solve problems, and to deliver services to all our residents, but also to show the way for others, regionally and nationally – whether improving quality of life, working for a just society, or ensuring the survival of our planet."

Major funding was secured for earlier announced proposals, including more than $200 million to electrify all King County buses by 2035. Other big investments include money for new affordable housing close to transit centers and crisis response centers, along with funding for environmental restoration programs.

Millions more will go to recently announced public safety programs, including $21 million to support more transit security officers, $9 million to support the Regional Peacekeepers Collective, $5 million to equip all patrol deputies with body-worn and vehicle cameras, and $2 million for more major crimes detectives and a new gun violence reduction unit.

"I'm proud of the work we have done to adopt a budget that reflects our values and priorities: safer communities, housing our unsheltered neighbors, protecting our environment and responding to the needs of those most impacted by COVID," said Councilmember Rod Dembowski. "The budget is balanced, protects our financial reserves, and helps ensure we maintain our top-tier bond rating, which saves taxpayer dollars. It's been a privilege to serve on this year's Budget Leadership Team and I thank the public and my colleagues for their thoughtful engagement in our budget work."

Here are some key initiatives funded in the budget highlighted by the council:

• $220 million to convert Metro to all-electric buses by 2035
• $166 million to fund affordable housing near transit centers, supportive housing operations and coordinated crisis response efforts to homelessness
• More than $50 million to fund environmental improvements and protections, including restoring fish passage habitat, removing nitrogen and chemicals from wastewater, and expanding access to heat pumps and solar panels for homeowners in unincorporate King County
• $55 million for community safety, including efforts to reduce gun violence, new Metro transit security and community engagement staff, body worn cameras for King County Sherriff’s deputies, creating pathways away from jail for our youth and more.
• $35 million Equitable Recovery Initiative, including funding for supportive housing, homelessness support and behavioral health and economic recovery.
• $6.2 million to safeguard against inflation increases for human services providers, including those providing homelessness, housing and gender-based violence services.
• $3.6 million for Metro to serve riders now, improve rider experience, clean transit centers, enhance community safety and expand neighborhood engagement.
• $1.1 million to increase the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight staffing by 55% to ensure robust accountability investigations and community engagement
• $950k funding for youth programs in detention centers: provide behavioral health, skill-building and safety-enhancing services and staffing for juveniles in detention, including a gang intervention specialist, community-led programming, group and individual therapy sessions, staff trainings and other behavioral health services.
• $1.8 million in MIDD programs including sexual assault and domestic violence services, art mental health therapy, Naloxone distribution, and RADAR.
• $24.7 million in new capital investments, including the Little Saigon Community Center, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation Canoe House, Muslim American Youth Foundation Community Center, Children’s Home Society of Washington Resource Center, Fall City Community Center, Hanwoori Garden in Federal Way, and more.

>> Read more about the 2023-24 budget here.