The Countywide Community Forums enhance citizen participation, civic engagement, and citizenship education in government through a network of periodic public forums where people gather in small groups throughout the county to discuss current issues and provide important feedback to county government and other public officials.

Two to four times a year, registered citizen councilors are invited to meet at a time and place of their choice in homes, libraries or work places throughout King County to learn more about an issue that matters to them, discuss it with the group and complete a detailed survey on their views.   The survey results are communicated back to participants, members of the King County Council, other government officials, members of the media, and the general public.

Through its unanimous adoption of Ordinance 15896, the King County Council created Countywide Community Forums in late 2007. The ordinance was previously King County Initiative 24, sponsored by Dick Spady, co-founder of Seattle’s Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants.

The entire program, including county staff positions, is funded through voluntary donations. The program is led by the Volunteer Coordinator, Dick Spady, and two volunteer Deputy Coordinators, Jim and John Spady. They were appointed to these positions based on their extensive knowledge of the Citizen Councilor Network model of civic engagement. The Auditor’s Office oversees program operations and ensures the integrity of data collection processes and management controls over program funds. Chantal Stevens, the program manager in the Auditor's Office, serves as the public’s primary county government contact for the program.

The program is based on a model developed principally by Richard (Dick) J. Spady, President of the Forum Foundation (external link). As discussed in The Leadership of Civilization Building that he co-authored, it enables citizens to participate meaningfully in providing feedback to public officials on issues of importance to the community.