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December 2006 Meeting Summary

 

Area Council December Meeting Highlights

By Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary

 

The Greater Maple Valley Area Council serves as an all-volunteer, locally elected advisory body to the King County Council. It represents all unincorporated area residents living in the Tahoma School District. On Monday, December 4, our Regular monthly meeting was devoted to the King County budgeting process.

 

Public Comments

Major Dave Germani of the Maple Valley Sheriff’s Precinct addressed the Area Council to request that it prepare a letter of condolences for the tragic death in the line of duty of King County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Cox on December 2 in White Center. Mr. Cox served as president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council. Mr. Cox dedicated his career to helping the community where he was raised and is being mourned by citizens, government leaders, and the region's law enforcement community. The Area Council unanimously agreed to prepare a letter of condolences.

 

King County Budgeting Process

Bob Cowan, King County Budget Manager, discussed the King County Budgeting Process. The annual process takes nearly a year. The formulation of the budget starts in the Office of the King County Executive. Early on major budget issues are identified and service needs are evaluated. Estimates and forecasts are made that serve as a basis for formulating both an operating and capital budget. Those budgets are then evaluated and the Executive submits his proposed annual budget to the King County Council for discussion, changes, and/or approval. The Executive has line-item veto power and the Council can override any Executive veto with a 2/3 majority vote. King County government is the second largest provider of government services in the state, with a 2007 budget totaling almost $4.0 billion.

 

The county delivers a broad range of services like public transportation, elections, adult detention, law enforcement, courts, road construction and maintenance, social services, public health, and wastewater treatment. King County must also balance its role as a regional service provider for 1.8 million county residents with its responsibility as the local service provider to over 350,000 residents who live in unincorporated King County. Taxes account for the bulk of general fund revenues, supporting 64% of general fund services. The largest source of tax revenue for the fund is the countywide property tax levy. In 2007, property taxes will be $261.7 million, or 72% of total tax revenues. Sales taxes, the second largest source of general fund tax revenue, will total $99.2 million in 2007.

 

The lion’s share of our property taxes--both source and amount--is voter-approved: local school levies and bonds, fire districts, EMS, etc. In all 114 separate governmental agencies levy and collect taxes in King County. For 2006, the major share of property tax levies was for: State school support (24%), Local school support (29%), Cities (19%), and King County (13%). The bulk of the rest was for the Port of Seattle, EMS, fire districts, hospital districts, and the King County Library District. Although King County collects many of these taxes through the Assessor’s annual property tax bills, it distributes most of these monies to the various agencies, municipalities, and districts listed above.

 

The largest share (77%) of our sales taxes goes to the state (6.5% of our 8.4% rate in the rural areas--including rural cities such as Maple Valley). The remaining 1.9% of the 8.4% sales tax rate is dedicated as follows: 0.8% for Metro transit, 1.0% for King County, and 0.1% for criminal justice.

 

Mr. Cowan recommended interested citizens view the following King County web site for more detailed explanations of the proposed budget for 2007, as well as past adopted budgets for calendar years 2000-2006: http://www.metrokc.gov/budget/

 

Next Meeting

The Area Council meets on the first Monday of each month (except on legal holidays) in the conference room of Sheriff’s Precinct # 3 Headquarters (at 231st St & SR-169 across from Fire Station). The public is invited to attend. Each meeting begins with an Open Comment period to allow the public to voice issues of concern. Our next regular monthly meeting will be held on Monday, January 8, 2007, at 7:00 PM. Comments on Area Council business may be submitted to GMVAC, P.O. Box 101, Maple Valley, WA  98038, or to Dick Bonewits, Chair, at gmvac_chair@hotmail.com.