Dear Neighbor video transcript:

“Hi. My name is Bob Ferguson. I represent District One on the King County Council and thanks for viewing and reading this issue of my enews. Two things are going on in the coming weeks that I want to bring your attention to and they are both town hall meetings. I try to have regular town hall meetings in my district to give constituents a chance to hear about issues of importance to the community and to them.

“So the first town hall meeting will be on Tuesday night, March 24th, and it will be in Kenmore, Washington, which is up in my district in North King County and I’ll be joined by the mayor of Kenmore, David Baker, and our topic is transportation. Specifically, passenger ferry service. We recently established a King County Ferry District to provide passenger ferry service throughout King County and one of the proposed routes is from Kenmore to Seattle. We’ll get a chance to hear from local experts on passenger ferry service and the feasibility of bringing that kind of service to Kenmore and provide some relief to people in North King County who battle Highway 522 and the floating bridge on 520 to try and get to work and around King County.

“So passenger ferry service is an option to other means of getting around and we think this is a possible relief for people in North King County.

“The other town hall meeting I have is going to deal with veterans issues and this will be in Shoreline on Wednesday, April 1st, again in the evening. This town hall meeting is a little bit different because it involves the entire King County Council, all nine members. It is actually a meeting of the Committee of the Whole, which I chair, and each month the County Council goes around to different districts throughout King County to bring us out of the courthouse and into the local communities around King County.

“So I’ve invited the King County Council to come up to Shoreline and the topic is ‘veterans’, and more specifically how we can best serve veterans during a very challenging time. It’s challenging in two respects. One, budget constraints at the national, state, and local level make it to provide the level of service to veterans that we have in the past. Secondly of course we have conflicts abroad and we have more veterans returning all the time, back home in need of those kinds of services. So those two challenges make it imperative that King County work closely with the state government, federal government, veterans affairs divisions, to make sure that the limited resources we have are being used to the best extent possible.

“So we’ll have representatives from all those agencies and we’ll have a discussion and chance for questions from the audience and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can better improve our services to veterans.

“Here at the local level a couple of years ago I proposed a ballot measure that went before the voters in 2005. It was a levy to increase funding specifically for veterans and human services. That was passed overwhelmingly by the voters. As a result, we bring in about $14 or $15 million a year, half of which goes specifically to veterans and their families. We will also get an update on how those dollars are being used, the success stories, and how we can improve those resources as well.

“In my family, and I suspect in many of yours, I’m from a long line of veterans, including my father who served in the Navy, both my grandfathers, and many of my uncles have served in many conflicts representing the United States. So it’s an issue of great importance to me on a personal level and also of course a critical one from a policy standpoint as well.

“So I hope you can join me for either of these or both of these town hall meetings and I appreciate you watching my enews. Thank you very much.”

Bob Ferguson
King County Councilmember, District 1

Save the Date for District 1 Town Hall Meeting

I will be hosting, along with Kenmore Mayor David Baker, a town hall meeting regarding the King County Ferry District and the proposed Kenmore to Seattle water taxi route. We hope you can join us to learn more and share your views on this important subject.

Kenmore Mayor David Baker will join us March 24.	Date:	Tuesday, March 24
	Time:	Reception - 6:30 p.m.
		Meeting - 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
	Location:	Northshore Utility District building, 6830 Northeast 185th Street, Kenmore (map)

Budget Transparency Legislation Update

Earlier this year, as chair of the Council's Committee of the Whole, I held a briefing to examine how King County's budget compared with other jurisdictions across the nation. The general conclusion was that King County lags behind its peer organizations in the level of detail contained within its budget documents.

In response, I proposed an ordinance to increase the level of detail available in King County's budget, providing greater transparency for policy makers and the public about where tax dollars are going. The Council's Budget Committee unanimously approved the ordinance, and the full Council will vote on it soon. I will provide more information on this important issue throughout the year.

Serving Our Veterans in Challenging Times

I hope you will join me for an upcoming King County Council Town Hall meeting focused on improving services to veterans. In 2005, I led the Council's effort to put the Veterans and Human Services Levy on the ballot. Voters overwhelmingly passed the levy, which provides dedicated funding for veterans programs.

At this town hall, we will discuss the issues and challenges facing our veterans. There will be a panel discussion of how federal, state, and local governments can coordinate and improve services to veterans, especially considering budgetary constraints. Representatives from veterans service agencies will also be on hand to provide information and answer questions.

Bob’s late father, Murray Ferguson (left), served in the Navy.	Date:	Wednesday, April 1
	Time:	Reception - 6:00 p.m.
		Program - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
	Location:	Shoreline Conference Center Shoreline Room 18560 1st Avenue Northeast, Shoreline (map)

Elections Office Update

Following the discovery of 93 uncounted ballots after the 2004 general election, I worked on an election reform package with my colleagues, Councilmembers Julia Patterson and Kathy Lambert. The Council adopted this package, which reinforced safeguards for tabulating votes, consolidated election facilities, increased funding for election worker training, and directed the county to conduct a one-time vote by mail election to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of an exclusive vote by mail system. These reforms were all recommended by the King County Citizens’ Election Oversight Committee.

Additionally, I co-sponsored a motion for an independent audit with Councilmember Patterson. This motion was unanimously passed by the Council.

Since that time, these pieces of legislation have helped improve elections in King County. For example, in December 2007 King County Elections moved to a consolidated facility in Renton which allows for enhanced ballot security and improved accuracy of mail ballot processing. In November 2008 the office successfully administered record voter turnout and in February 2009 King County held its first all-mail election.

As chair of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, I recently invited Sherril Huff, the newly elected chief elections official for King County, to provide the committee with a status report on several important election items, including:

• Testing and certification of paper ballot tabulation equipment;
• Hiring of a superintendent of elections; and
• Preparedness for future all-mail elections.

Maintaining the integrity of our election system continues to be a priority for me, and I will keep you updated about these election issues as the year progresses.

District One and Other Outings

As a guest on “Engaging Our Communities,” I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss issues of regional significance and answer questions about my experience on the Council. This program is hosted by D.J. Wilson, an Edmonds City Council member.

I was honored to speak at the Mental Health Court’s recent 10-year anniversary celebration. The Mental Health Court increases cooperative efforts between the mental health treatment system and criminal justice system. This collaborative effort helps achieve faster case processing time, improved access to mental health treatment services, improved well-being, and reduced recidivism. An important outcome for the larger community is improved public safety.

During the 2009 budget session, significant budget cuts were proposed for this program. I worked on the budget leadership team to restore funding for the program, making this anniversary a significant victory for the many people who have worked to make it a success. All King County citizens enjoy a safer, better quality of life because the Mental Health Court provides crucial treatment options.

I recently chaired the Council's Committee of the Whole town hall meeting on public health. Public Health is facing a budget crisis. The town hall provided the public with the opportunity to learn about the vital services at risk, including public health centers, family planning clinics, and immunization services.

King County Appointment Updates

• As King County Executive Ron Sims awaits confirmation as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the King County Council is working to determine the appointment process for his successor. The Council will appoint an interim Executive to serve the remainder of Sims' term. In the past, precinct committee officers (PCOs) recommended candidates to be appointed. Because the Council is now a non-partisan body, this PCO recommendation process cannot be used.
  
  There is a proposal to create a Blue Ribbon Committee to review potential appointees for the position. I will keep you posted as decisions are made regarding this motion and the appointment process.

• Following an extensive interview process, the Council appointed Anne Harper to fill a vacant position in the Seattle Division of the King County District Court. Judge Harper received her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Washington and has served for more than 10 years as a court commissioner. Congratulations to Judge Harper, and I thank all of the highly qualified candidates who interviewed for the position.

About my E-Newsletter

Councilmember Bob Ferguson on the Web:www.kingcounty.gov/ferguson

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Phone: (206) 296-1001 | Fax: (206) 296-0198 | TTY/TDD: (206) 296-1024 | Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104-3272