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Balducci leads charge for full transparency in county grant spending after DCHS audit findings

January 27, 2026

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci on Tuesday introduced – and Council approved – an amendment to the King County Auditor’s 2026-2027 work plan to conduct a full review of locally funded Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) community grants – expanding on the 2025 audit which reviewed a sample consisting of only 2% of provider payments from 2024.

The review is meant to help King County better understand the broader scope of issues within the contracts administered by DCHS, provide transparency for the public, make the necessary changes and corrections to ensure accountability for the future, and guarantee that taxpayer dollars are being spent as intended.

“I am concerned, and have heard tremendous community concern, about the possibility of wasted public funds,” Balducci said. “Last year’s audit reviewed only a small sample of DCHS’ contracts. I pushed for this addition to the 2026 audit work plan to ensure a thorough review of DCHS contracts. We need a full better understanding of the scope of issues so that we can respond as needed to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately and effectively.”

The requested review builds on Balducci’s commitment to accountability and transparency across all King County funds. In August 2025, the Auditor shared the results of an audit of 36 contracts funded by the Best Starts for Kids levy and Mental Illness and Drug Dependency fund. The audit found inadequate oversight and financial controls, inconsistent monitoring of contracts, and instances of improper payments, including potential fraud, across multiple programs and contracts.

In 2024, DCHS partnered with 583 contracted providers and managed 2,113 statements of work. In contrast, the King County Auditor’s 2025 report only reviewed 36 contracts across four different program areas in DCHS, which amounted to approximately $25 million, representing about 2% of DCHS provider payments in 2024.

The amended work plan calls for completion of a thorough review within the current biennium and directs the auditor to provide semi-annual updates on progress to the King County Council.