Councilmember Phillips’ statement on passage of SB 5433

April 17, 2009

Summary

Story

“I applaud the state for listening to the people of King County and their call to protect basic County services like public safety, bus service, and health clinics.

“As the county’s budget chair last November, I heard hundreds of citizens tell their compelling stories about what services like drug court, 4-H, and family planning clinics have meant to their lives.

“We passed a budget that prioritized citizens’ safety, health, and quality of life, but we put several important programs in a lifeboat and warned that deeper cuts in future years could jeopardize the quality and safety of King County’s communities. Senate Bill 5433 gives counties more flexibility to fund public safety programs, increased incentives to annex urban unincorporated areas into cities, and more options to pay for transit service.

“My colleagues and I must now look at the options available to us under SB 5433, and decide how to best apply them and prioritize services in King County in 2010 and beyond. Knowing that times are tough for citizens, we must make the most efficient use of the revenues we have, and should only look at using any new authorities when the duty to provide for citizens’ safety and health requires it.”