Budget cuts are unavoidable after state’s failure to fix broken county tax system
Message from Dow Constantine, King County Executive
In recent days you may have seen news reports that the state legislature failed to take legislative action to address the state’s arbitrary and outdated one percent limit on property tax collections, which is the largest source of revenue for the County’s General Fund.
This means that the 2025-2026 General Fund is facing a $100 million revenue shortfall. In the absence of additional revenue, we will not be able to maintain all of our existing services and programs, and budget cuts will be necessary. Read more.
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New Capitol Hill Health through Housing building announced
King County Executive Dow Constantine and City of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the operators for the newest Health Through Housing building — a 35-unit building providing permanent supportive housing in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The building will be jointly operated by Lavender Rights Project and Chief Seattle Club and is expected to welcome residents this fall. Read more.
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One million trees — and counting!
Cross posted from King County Parks
King County set an ambitious five-year goal in our 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to plant, protect, and prepare a combined three million trees by the end of 2025. This effort helps mitigate climate change, improves forest health and salmon habitat, and increases tree canopy.
As of January 2023, over one million trees have been planted, protected, and prepared. This includes:
- Planting more than 200,000 trees
- Protecting 615,000 trees (more than 2,000 acres of forests and natural areas)
- Preparing and restoring 200,000 trees (more than 650 acres of forested areas)
Read more.
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Safety video: See something, say something
Our first priority is your safety and security at work, and we are continuing to partner with law enforcement, community, and other governments to ensure a safer, more welcoming environment in and around our facilities.
A number of actions and programs have already been implemented, including regular patrols by Sheriff’s deputies and Facilities Management Division (FMD) security officers, increasing the number of security personnel onsite, and daily trash and general clean-up.
The county has also produced a series of safety videos with tips for staying safe and other related information. Check out this short video about how to report emergencies and non-urgent security concerns. View the full library of safety videos here.
For more information on employee safety programs and resources, check out the Future of Work Personal Safety at Work intranet page (employee access only).
Invitation to participate in bus service survey by April 30
Whether you ride frequently, occasionally, or if you hardly ever ride, we'd love to hear your feedback on current service and your plans for using transit after the pandemic.
Sixteen transit agencies from around the world, including King County Metro, are conducting a customer survey. These agencies will compare the results of the surveys to learn from each other and work toward giving you even better transit service.
Your personal details and responses will remain confidential and will not be used for any other purpose. Survey is also available in 官話 (Traditional Chinese) and Español (Spanish). Take the survey.
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Balanced You Wellness and Self-Care Challenge
Join Balanced You and fellow King County employees for a Wellness and Self-Care Challenge during the month of April. We will give attention to our wellness by incorporating three self-care habits a week. Follow along in Employee News and Wellness Wednesday each week for the challenge of the day or download the wellness challenge journal to track your progress and take notes
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Today’s challenge: Volunteer
Volunteering and helping others can lift your mood. King County's Employee Giving Program has a list of community organizations where you can help. Many King County employees can use up to three instances of their sick leave a year to volunteer (aka paid time off to volunteer). Click here for more information.
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Reminder: WA Cares Fund payroll deductions begin in July
Beginning July 1, 2023, almost all workers in Washington are required to contribute to the WA Cares Fund via mandatory payroll deduction.
The WA Cares Fund is a new state long-term care insurance program administered by the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Read more.
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Join the King County Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay team
Following the success with a King County team in the annual Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay from Blaine to Langley, the team wants to gauge interest in adding a second King County team of runners this year.
The race is July 14-15; a team is 12 runners in two vans, each taking on three legs. There is still time to register another team by the May 11 deadline, so reach out if you’re interested by emailing Seth Watson.
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Learn more about SharePoint Hubs – free webinar May 9
Join expert guest speakers from Microsoft as they demonstrate SharePoint Hubs. Learn how to easily share news, resources, and events for your team or other internal King County agencies using a SharePoint Hub site.
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Tuesday, May 9 at 2 p.m. Register here. Free for all King County employees.
Missed the last webinar? Watch the recording: Teams Meetings - Updates and Recently Added Features. Demos include: Sign Language View, "Always On" Live Captions, updates to the "More Actions" menu and bar, and Presenter Modes.
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Training Spotlight:
Strategic Interviewing Skills Q and A – Online – Preparing for a job interview can be a daunting task. Your Career Support Services team is hosting a virtual hour-long open forum Q&A session to answer questions from those who completed a live CSS Strategic Interviewing Skills workshop or eLearning. This is your opportunity to ask additional questions about the STAR-LA interview response method, types of interview questions, or get clarification on other topics covered in the training.
Introduction to Public Speaking – N. Seattle College Campus, CC Bldg., Room 3457 – Would you like to reduce stage fright and gain more confidence speaking in front of a group? Whether you need to give a formal presentation or an informal presentation at a staff meeting, learning key skills will increase your effectiveness and self-confidence. In this course you will learn strategies to deal with nervousness, plan and deliver an effective presentation, and practice presentation techniques to capture audience attention.
- Thursdays, May 11 through May 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fees apply. Register here.
Please visit the King County Eventbrite website, Learning and Development website, and Career Support Services website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Pet of the Week: Clark
Hi, I'm Clark, a German Shepherd mix ready to move into a forever home. I've been called affectionate and goofy because I tilt my head from side-to-side when I'm trying to understand what you're saying. I do best with lots of exercise and something to keep my mind busy.
You can find out more about me and my friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) has moved back to walk-in services. Find out more information about our adoption process on our website. If you have more questions, contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.
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Featured Job: Wastewater Treatment Operator - South Plant Day Operations
Salary: $72,737.60 - $92,206.40 annually
Location: Renton, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DNRP-Natural Resources and Parks
Job Number: 2023-18632
Division: Wastewater Treatment
Closes: May 2 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time
The role will perform maintenance on process systems, and perform scheduled and routine maintenance on process equipment. They will perform facility maintenance cleaning process areas, and general grounds maintenance.
Learn more about this position and view all available positions.
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King County Headlines
King County asking for community input on budget cuts after state’s failure to fix county’s broken tax system
With warmer weather predicted this weekend, King County officials urge caution at dangerously cold lakes, rivers, Puget Sound
King County announces settlement with Juul in youth e-cigarette lawsuit
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