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Dear Friends and
Neighbors,
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Last Winter, the King County Council gave its unanimous
approval to a $3.4 billion 2005 King County Budget. The budget
tightens controls on spending and finds efficiencies so the
county can continue to offer essential services with no new
general taxes. It includes $538.8 million in the general fund,
which supports mandatory funding for criminal justice agencies
(sheriff, courts, jails), the costs of general government, and
funding for human service programs. The final 13-0 vote marks
the second straight year that the King County budget was
adopted on a unanimous, bipartisan vote.
King County's budget funds important regional and local
services essential to maintaining the quality of life for King
County residents. King County treats sewage and keeps our
waterways clean. We provide quality bus service to reduce
reliance on automobiles and restaurant inspections to protect
health and safety throughout the county. Every time you go out
to eat, flush your toilet or call 911 - you are using a county
service supported by your tax dollars.
What does King County do for me?
Every Day King County:
- Treats 192 million gallons of wastewater (over a year
that's roughly enough water to fill the former Seattle
Kingdome 140 times).
- Provides about 274,000 rides on Metro buses (if you
lined up 274,000 cars end to end, the line would extend 882
miles).
- Processes 168,000 men and women into the regional jails
(over a year that's about enough people to fill Safeco Field
and Key Arena in Seattle).
- Maintains a roads system 1,900 miles long (about the
distance from Sea-Tac to Chicago).
Other Services Include:
- Search and Rescue
- Public Health
- Sheriff's Office
- Prosecutor
- Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Parks
- Open Space
- Elections, and much more.
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