Council achieves its priority goals for 2010

January 5, 2011

Summary

Checks off 43 specific actions advancing goals of 21st Century Governance

Story

Under the leadership of 2010 Council Chair Bob Ferguson and Vice Chair Jane Hague, the Metropolitan King County Council took a fresh approach to its policy work by setting specific goals for the year–something that had not been done in recent memory. Progress was made on all 45 specific goals, which ranged from securing funding for the South Park Bridge replacement to adopting a Countywide Strategic Plan.

“I am grateful for the work of my colleagues in tackling this ambitious agenda, and I am encouraged by what we have accomplished on behalf of the people of King County,” said Ferguson. “My father always told me that making a list helps focus the mind, and the Council’s list of priorities focused our efforts on key policy initiatives in a transparent and accountable way.”

“The 2010 Priorities were an effective compliment to the broader Countywide Strategic Plan that was also adopted this year,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. “We’ve been able to reprioritize King County government. As a result, the County is on stronger financial footing than it was a year ago.”

“The Council made significant strides preserving the environment and stabilizing transportation in 2010,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee. “We brought a diverse group of regional transit stakeholders together who came up with unanimous recommendations for bolstering Metro Transit. We also accomplished a green agenda which included developing an Energy Plan, updating shoreline protections, advancing electric vehicles, and securing valuable Puget Sound habitat on Maury Island.”

“Sound financial stewardship of the public’s tax money is a top priority for the citizens and for the Council,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, a member of the Council’s Budget Leadership Team. “This year, the Council worked cooperatively with the Executive’s Office to update decades-old county labor policies by prioritizing cost savings and revising compensation guidelines. We worked hard to reach agreement on removing the requirement for a minimum annual salary increase. This provides more flexibility for the county to adjust budgeting according to changing economic conditions, and it helps to keep compensation at a level that allows us to retain our employees and to do so within available tax dollars that citizens can afford. Our collaborative work with labor unions resulted in unprecedented voluntary agreements to forego cost-of-living increases in 2011 and saved jobs that provide vital services to the public.”

“I’m pleased to see the significant advancements made by the Council in 2010 that help to ensure continuity in our service delivery and day-to-day operations,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “This past year we tightened our belts, balanced our budget and made many difficult choices, helping us reach our goals, as well as steering us in the direction of success in the year ahead.”

The Priorities for King County Government were adopted unanimously by the Council in the first quarter of the 2010. Eight overarching priorities were identified:

1. Trust in government
2. Financial stewardship;
3. Local and regional cooperation;
4. Safe, healthy and vibrant communities ;
5. Environmental sustainability ;
6. Jobs and economic development;
7. Equity and social justice; and
8. Mobility options for people, goods, and services.

Under these 8 priorities, 45 specific goals were established, and2010. The Council created an electronic scorecard to allow the public to monitor the Council’s progress in accomplishing these goals.

The Council’s 2010 accomplishments included:

• Adopting the first-ever Countywide Strategic Plan to guide King County departments and agencies for the next five years and beyond;

• Working with local, state, and federal partners to secure funding for replacement of the South Park Bridge;

• Overseeing timely implementation of the first RapidRide route, Metro Transit’s new Bus Rapid Transit service;

• Reducing flood risk in the Green River Valley by collaborating with federal, state, and local leaders to secure federal funds for repairing the Howard Hanson Dam;

• Adopting an equity and social justice framework to provide guidance on integrating these values into King County’s daily work;

• Creating the Regional Transit Task Force, which submitted recommendations on improving regional transit to the Council;

• Approving city partnerships to create a new regional model for animal services;

• Adopting the first major update to King County’s Shoreline Master Program in 30 years; and

• Submitting three charter amendments to the voters for approval.

In total, the Council made significant progress on 43 of the 45 specific actions identified. Among these, 36 were fully completed and another seven, which require additional or continuing work from the Executive, are anticipated to be ready for action in the early part of 2011. The remaining two issues, creating a process for guiding future use of the Eastside Rail Corridor and funding improvements for Stampede Pass, involve multiple stakeholders and will require an extended period of time to complete.