Phillips’ leadership prioritizing public safety and health in 2009 leads to better budget approach in 2010

August 13, 2009

Summary

Phillips responds to Executive Triplett’s budget proposal

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King County Councilmember Larry Phillips praised Executive Kurt Triplett’s approach, announced today, for balancing the first $18.9 million of King County’s $56 million general fund deficit. Triplett’s approach follows the lead Phillips set as Council Budget Chair in 2009 by prioritizing public safety and public health over internal and discretionary services.

“The public’s safety and health must come first,” said Phillips. “We retooled last year’s Executive Proposed Budget to reflect those priorities, and I’m glad to see Executive Triplett proposing to continue that critical approach. The public needs to know we’re spending their limited tax dollars on the services that benefit them most.”

Phillips agrees with Triplett’s proposal to cut the Executive and Council budgets by 10 percent and trim $15 million in overhead in order to protect public safety agencies from deeper cuts.

Phillips, however, expressed concern about Triplett’s proposal to reduce funding for audits and performance measurement services, which save tax dollars and provide transparency to the public.

“King County’s audit function is the unsung hero of county government, quietly saving taxpayers money year after year,” said Phillips. “Audits, like my proposed audit of Metro Transit that’s currently underway, make up only a minute fraction of the county’s overall budget but end up saving millions that can be put back into services.”