Summary

Eastside programs and organizations will see major investments over the next two years and beyond with Tuesday’s approval by the King County Council of the 2023-2024 King County budget. The $16.2 billion budget continues essential services for King County Council District 6 and beyond such as transit, public health, human services, criminal justice, and wastewater, and makes key investments in priority areas important to Eastside residents.

Story

Eastside programs and organizations will see major investments over the next two years and beyond with Tuesday’s approval by the King County Council of the 2023-2024 King County budget. The $16.2 billion budget continues essential services for King County Council District 6 and beyond such as transit, public health, human services, criminal justice, and wastewater, and makes key investments in priority areas important to Eastside residents.

“The King County biennial budget is the biggest policy document the Council shapes and adopts,” said Council Chair Claudia Balducci. “This 2023-2024 budget advances several Eastside priorities, including: safe and sustainable homes and communities, transportation, and pathways to jobs.” 

The County’s budget includes housing and homelessness solutions, such as continuing our investment in the Health through Housing program which will bring badly needed permanent supportive housing to the Eastside at two former hotels. It adds $500,000 to support Friends of Youth as they establish a new East King County permanent emergency shelter for youth. Additionally, it includes $300,000 to support LifeWire as they transform an apartment complex in East King County into a comprehensive center for survivors of domestic violence with housing and onsite services. Finally, the County will add funding for long-standing community-based organizations, Centro Cultural Mexicano, Indian American Community Services, and Jewish Family Service, which receive $18,500 each in grants to continue helping families become and remain housed, providing up-front deposits and move-in fees, rental assistance and eviction prevention. 

Transportation in King County received a big boost from the 2023-2024 King County budget, which adds $7 million to restart planning and design for the pandemic delayed RapidRide K Line. The K Line will run fast, frequent and reliable transit service between the Totem Lake Transit Center in Kirkland, downtown Bellevue, and Eastgate Park & Ride in Bellevue. The budget requests Metro adapt to COVID-driven changes to bus ridership by requiring detailed reports prior to each major service change in 2023 and 2024 so transit service can be directed to places where demand exists and is growing. It also adds a provision to study and propose an e-bike rebate program for low-income residents who want to purchase e-bikes, similar to successful programs in Colorado and Oregon. Finally, it requests a study to assess the viability of installing Intelligent Speed Assistance in up to 1,400 county vehicles to demonstrate how this technology could improve roadway safety while also reducing costs for the County.

The County budget works to help people get back on their feet after COVID by providing a $250,000 grant to a state-approved construction pre-apprenticeship program at Interlake High School in the Bellevue School District.  Additionally, it provides $50,000 in grant funding to the King County Library System to expand youth literacy programs, which will help our youngest learners be ready for school, while also honoring the late KCLS Director Bill Ptacek who was a champion of early literacy.