Dunn, Balducci announce Conservation Futures grant for Bellevue’s Cougar Mountain Connection project
King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Claudia Balducci on Monday announced that King County is awarding $9,247,500 to the City of Bellevue to support its Cougar Mountain Connections project, which aims to acquire and conserve 18 acres of land adjacent to the Coal Creek Natural Area.

Kohl-Welles, Balducci push to get ‘forever chemicals’ out of King County wastewater discharges into Puget Sound
On the heels of a report that found an increasing number of “forever chemicals” in King County’s wastewater effluent being discharged into Puget Sound, King County Councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Claudia Balducci on Thursday introduced legislation aiming to curtail those chemicals now shown to impact the region’s entire marine food chain, including chinook salmon, the main prey of endangered southern resident orcas.

Council opposes state timber sale over climate impacts
A majority of the King County Council on Thursday sent a letter (attached) to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) requesting they defer auction of the Wishbone Timber Sale – scheduled for July 25.

Taylor Swift takes center stage as Council proclaims a week in her honor ahead of sold-out shows at Lumen Field
The Council honored the pop star’s tour stop in Seattle by proclaiming the week of July 18-25 as Taylor Swift Week in King County.

King County earns national Achievement Award for Council-backed ‘Don’t Count Us Out’ substance use disorder, recovery stigma reduction campaign
King County’s Don’t Count Us Out campaign has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo).

King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders brings together local leaders, record-level attendees to talk about ongoing drug crisis
More than 500 people attended (virtually and in-person) the third annual King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders on Thursday, the largest crowd since the conference’s inception in 2021

Council approves sending renewal of Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy to voters in August
The King County Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to send to voters a proposal to renew the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy for another six years. The current levy is set to expire at the end of 2023.

Dunn applauds Gov. Inslee for calling special session on Blake fix
King County Vice Chair Reagan Dunn issued a statement Tuesday in response to Gov. Jay Inslee calling for a special legislative session to address the need for a permanent fix to the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision on drug laws.

Zahilay applauds support for Crisis Care Centers levy in early returns
King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay released a statement Tuesday night after early returns showed the Crisis Care Centers levy passing with 54% of the vote.

Council votes to send $1.25B Crisis Care Centers levy to voters
The King County Council voted Tuesday to send a $1.25 billion behavioral health levy to voters for consideration on an April special election ballot.

End of an era: Kohl-Welles announces plan to retire from Council
King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles announced Wednesday that she plans to retire from office after her term ends in 2023.

McDermott will not seek re-election
King County Councilmember Joe McDermott announced Friday that he would not seek re-election to the Council. His term ends at the end of this year.

Council names Upthegrove new Chair as part of annual reorganization
King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove was on Tuesday selected by his peers to become the new Chair of the Council as members approved their annual reorganization for leadership roles.

Massive investments in public safety, transit, and housing headline approved 2023-2024 King County Budget
The King County Council on Tuesday approved a $16.2 billion budget to fund King County for the next two years. The 2023-2024 biennial budget includes funding for clean energy, affordable housing, public transit, protecting the environment, improving community safety, behavioral health and more.

Council makes major investments in economic recovery, community safety & public safety on Metro transit, adds inflation funding for human service providers
The King County Council’s budget proposal on Thursday cleared its last hurdle before final approval when the Budget & Fiscal Management Committee approved the $16.2 billion proposal.

Don’t Count Us Out: King County Launches Campaign to Fight Stigma of Addiction, Share Hope for Recovery
King County has launched an online campaign that aims to reduce the stigma that surrounds people who suffer from an active addiction or are in recovery.

Council chooses Amanda Dodd to fill Bothell City Council vacancy
The King County Council on Tuesday appointed Amanda Dodd to fill a vacant seat on the Bothell City Council by a unanimous vote.

Council honors Brad Finegood with 2022 Recovery Champion Award
The King County Council on Tuesday presented the Recovery Champion Award to Brad Finegood, a Behavioral Health Strategic Advisor with Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Council votes unanimously to help local food banks amid soaring inflation
The King County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion that tasks King County with identifying resources to help local food banks that are struggling to meet increased demand amid the compounding impacts of rising inflation, labor shortages, and historic interest rate spikes.

Dunn and Upthegrove Proclaim September as Behavioral Health Recovery Month
King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Dave Upthegrove were joined by their fellow councilmembers in proclaiming September as Behavioral Health Recovery Month in King County.