Executive Dow Constantine

Making sure all King County residents have the opportunity to thrive

Dow Constantine speaks at a press conference with a Metro bus in the background.

King County Executive Dow Constantine

See how we're responding to the COVID-19 outbreak

Even before Public Health Seattle & King County set up an emergency action center to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in late January, King County was preparing for the current pandemic. In the weeks since, we took unprecedented actions impacting every line of business throughout County government, and continue to mobilize a regional response to fight this disease. Together, we will get to the other side, and back to our normal routines as we focus on the great generational challenges of our time: building equity and opportunity, and confronting climate change.

With 2.2 million residents in 39 cities and unincorporated areas, King County is the nation’s 13th-largest county. It also has one of the most diverse populations in the United States.

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What we're working on

See how we're working to ensure King County is a vibrant, healthy, welcoming, and just community for its 2.2 million residents.

Tackling homelessness

Best Starts for Kids

Zero-emission buses

Enhancing local services

Road Map to Zero Youth Detention

Clean water

Priority areas

King County is one of America's fastest-growing regions, and Executive Dow Constantine is building partnerships and working with employees to meet the key challenges facing the Northwest—equity and social justice, climate change, and regional mobility.

It's all part of the Executive's vision to create the nation's best-run government. To do this, King County employees are embracing continuous improvement, instituting best management practices, driving innovation, and striving for second-to-none customer service that supports the people of King County.

Dow Constantine looks at energy usage meters

Becoming the nation's best-run government

We listen. We improve. We deliver.

Every day, King County employees explore how we can deliver better services, improve operations, and use fewer resources. To be the nation's best-run government, we are building partnerships to meet community needs and showing how government succeeds when we work together.

Even as the demand for services increased as our population grew, and the costs of goods continue to rise with inflation, we've managed to reduce our operational costs without sacrificing quality.

Confronting climate change in King County

Climate change is a paramount challenge of this generation.

The 2015 Strategic Action Climate plan will ensure King County continues to lead on climate action. Executive Constantine's five-year blueprint integrates climate change into all areas of County operations and our work in the community.

In King County, we are no longer anticipating the impacts of climate change—we are experiencing them. We've always had to respond to weather-related events such as wildfires, floods, landslides, and heatwaves. But today, these events are occurring with greater frequency and severity. The decisions we make together must set the stage for our region's future.

Balancing a bold vision with actionable and measureable objectives.

King County has many strengths and assets, including a strong business sector and diverse communities. But many of our people are too often left behind.

King County is expanding access to opportunity in eight areas—child and youth development; jobs and economic development; environment and climate; health and human services; housing; information and technology; transportation and mobility; and the justice system.

Transit is good for our economy, environment, and people

Demand for transit is at an all-time high.

King County Metro Transit provides 400,000 daily rides and takes 175,000 cars off the road each weekday, carrying nearly half of downtown Seattle's workforce to and from their jobs. But demand is still growing, and congestion is a major challenge for most people traveling during peak commute times.

In his dual role as the executive in charge of Metro Transit and member of the Sound Transit Board of Directors, Executive Constantine has directed the agencies to better integrate services to create a more efficient, seamless regional transit system.

King County Executive Dow Constantine
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Executive Dow Constantine

Making sure all King County residents have the opportunity to thrive

King County Executive Dow Constantine