This fall King County’s general fund will face a significant shortfall, requiring programs and investments to be cut. These cuts are required now because the legislature has not adjusted the outdated tax revenue limits for counties for more than twenty years. 

The King County general fund is essentially made of three categories of investments: general government services, state-mandated functions, and discretionary programming. Many general government functions – such as elections, property assessments, human resources, the County Executive's department, and County Council agencies – are functions that cannot be eliminated but will have budget reductions.  State-mandated functions cannot be cut, these include the jail and the courts. Discretionary programming represents a small portion of the total general fund and overwhelmingly includes programs and services that support the region’s health, safety, and vitality. It is in this small portion of the general fund where most cuts will be made and whose programs are listed below.  

King County needs your input. It will be one of the important factors used to inform Executive Constantine and the Metropolitan King County Council’s policy and funding decisions given this now dire situation. On the next screens, you’ll have the chance to select which discretionary programs you think should be prioritized.