Veterans and citizens fill the ranks at Shoreline town hall

April 3, 2009

Summary

King County Council meeting focuses on serving veterans in challenging times

Story

Metropolitan King County Council Vice Chair Bob Ferguson hosted his Council colleagues and over 200 citizens at an April 1 town hall meeting in Shoreline where the state of veterans services in the region was addressed. Panel members representing federal, state, and county agencies engaged the audience in a discussion about services being provided for veterans.

The panel included John Lee, Director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, DeAnn Dietrich, Deputy Director of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and King County Veterans Program Administrator Fred Steele. The panel members urged veterans to contact local programs if they need assistance and pledged to “get it right this time” in providing services for veterans returning from combat.

Four local veterans also spoke about the impact veterans services have played in their lives.

“This meeting provided a snapshot of what is currently being done to help veterans in our region and what can be done better,” said Ferguson, who represents Shoreline and north King County on the County Council. “We owe it to our veterans to honor their service and sacrifice by helping connect them with the job training, treatment, and housing they may need to return to civilian life.”

In 2005, Ferguson sponsored legislation to place a levy on the ballot to raise funds for veterans and human services, which King County voters overwhelmingly approved. The six-year levy taxes King County property at a rate of five cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, making the annual cost for a $400,000 home about $20. The levy generates approximately $13 million annually and will sunset in 2011 unless renewed by the voters.

With the recent announcement of plans to end the combat mission in Iraq by August 2010, approximately two-thirds of the nearly 142,000 troops serving there are expected to return home in the near future. As thousands of soldiers return, greater demand will be placed on veterans service agencies to help veterans reintegrate back to civilian life as they possibly face issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, and substance abuse. While preparing for this influx in demand for services, local government agencies are struggling with severe budget shortfalls.

“My hope is that the people of King County will show their commitment to supporting local veterans and renew the levy, which allows for greater partnership between agencies and improves services,” said Gary Kingsbury, a Shoreline resident who attended the event and serves on the Veterans Levy Citizen Oversight Committee. “Meetings like this are a good reminder of the importance of services for veterans and their families.”

The town hall was a special meeting of the King County Council’s Committee of the Whole, which Ferguson chairs. The committee considers legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire Council and is the only standing committee on which all nine members serve.



Councilmember Ferguson talks with veterans prior to the Veteran Services Town Hall meeting in Shoreline

Veterans and Human Services Levy