Summary

In order to help close a $60 million shortfall in the General Fund, the cuts to be proposed by the King County Executive in his 2011 budget next week will include elimination of all remaining General Fund support for human services. The proposed budget will eliminate $850,000 for the last two human service programs remaining in the General Fund – those supporting survivors of domestic violence and victims of sexual assault.

Story

In order to help close a $60 million shortfall in the General Fund, the cuts to be proposed by the King County Executive in his 2011 budget next week will include elimination of all remaining General Fund support for human services.

The proposed budget will eliminate $850,000 for the last two human service programs remaining in the General Fund – those supporting survivors of domestic violence and victims of sexual assault.

Over the past three years the County has been steadily stepping down General Fund support for human services, which are not mandated by law.

Human services in the General Fund were reduced from $20 million in 2008 to zero in last year’s 2010 Executive Proposed Budget, but the County Council in the final budget restored $850,000 for domestic violence and sexual assault programs in the Children and Family Services (CFS) sub-fund.

The Executive will outline all the cuts he must make to submit a balanced budget when he delivers his 2011 budget proposal on Monday, Sept. 27, in a speech before the Metropolitan King County Council.