Measure Information - King County

November 4, 2008 General Election

County

Simple majority (Wash. Const. art. XI, sec. 4 and King County Charter Section 800).

King County Charter Amendment No. 6
Budget Deadlines

Shall Sections 410 and 420 of the King County Charter be amended to impose deadlines that are twenty days earlier than existing deadlines for county agencies to submit budget information to the county executive and for the county executive to present a proposed budget to the county council, as provided in Ordinance No. 16208?

YES
NO

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Currently, King County Charter Section 420 requires county agencies to submit budget information to the county executive one hundred and thirty-five days prior to the end of the fiscal year. Section 410 requires the county executive to present a complete budget and budget message, proposed current expense and capital budget appropriations ordinances, and proposed tax and revenue ordinances necessary to raise sufficient revenues to balance the budget, to the county council at least seventy-five days prior to the end of the fiscal year. If this proposed charter amendment is approved, the deadlines for the required submittals by county agencies and the executive would be twenty days earlier.

Statement For

The current King County Budget is an almost $5 billion financial and policy document, affecting the almost 2 million people living in King County. The budget covers the Sheriff’s operations, courts, prosecutor’s office, jails, METRO Transit and wastewater treatment among its issues.

In 1971, the Charter gave the Council 45 days to review and pass the budget. Since then, the total county budget has grown from $112 million to almost $4.9 billion (a 43-fold increase) and has become increasingly complex, adding responsibility for METRO Transit and wastewater treatment. Also, the county’s population has increased by approximately 600,000 persons. Meanwhile, the County Council still has only 45 days to review the Executive’s proposed budget before final passage.

This Charter proposal would increase the time for the Council’s review from 45 to 65 days, adding almost 3 more weeks to review the Executive’s proposed budget. Giving the Council more time to review the county’s major financial document makes great sense in these complex financial times.

The Charter Review Commission, King County Executive and all nine members of the County Council support this proposal, because they believe the existing timeframe for Council deliberation is insufficient. Please join them in supporting this change.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Gary Long, Sarah Rindlaub, Tara Jo Heinecke

Statement Against

No Statement Submitted.

Complete Text of Resolution

Ordinance 16208

Proposed No. 2008-0363.1 Sponsors Phillips, Ferguson, Hague and Lambert

AN ORDINANCE proposing an amendment to Section 410 of the King County Charter and Section 420 of the King County Charter, to impose deadlines that are twenty days earlier than existing deadlines for county agencies to submit budget information to the county executive and for the county executive to present a proposed budget to the county council; and submitting the same to the voters of the county for their ratification or rejection at the November 2008 general election.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

SECTION 1. There shall be submitted to the voters of King County for their approval and ratification or rejection, at the next general election to be held in this county occurring more than forty-five days after the enactment of this ordinance, an amendment to Sections 410 and 420 of the King County Charter as set forth herein:

Section 410. Presentation and Adoption of the Budget.

At least ((seventy-five days)) ninety-five days prior to the end of each fiscal year, the county executive shall present to the county Council a complete budget and budget message, proposed current expense and capital budget appropriation ordinances, and proposed tax and revenue ordinances necessary to raise sufficient revenues to balance the budget; and at least thirty days prior to the end of the fiscal year, the county Council shall adopt appropriation, tax and revenue ordinances for the next fiscal year.

Section 420. Budget Information

At least ((one hundred thirty-five days)) one hundred fifty-five days prior to the end of the fiscal year, all agencies of county government shall submit to the county executive information necessary to prepare the budget.

SECTION 3. The clerk of the council shall certify the proposition to the manager of the elections division, in substantially the following form, with such additions, deletions or modifications as may be required by the prosecuting attorney:

Ordinance 16208 was introduced on 6/30/2008 and passed by the Metropolitan King County Council on 7/14/2008, by the following vote:

Yes: 8 – Ms. Patterson, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Constantine, Mr. von Reichbauer, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Gossett, Mr. Phillips and Ms. Hague

No: 0

Excused: 1 – Ms. Lambert

KING COUNTY COUNCIL

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Julia Patterson, Chair (signed)

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