Summary
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay today transmitted a $746 million supplemental budget to the King County Council, investing in new affordable housing and shelter, maintaining and modernizing critical infrastructure, and preserving parks and natural areas.
Story
King County – Today, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay transmitted a $746 million supplemental budget to the King County Council. This proposal will amend the 2026-2027 budget adopted last November.
The budget package will advance urgent priorities, including the Executive’s Breaking the Cycle commitment to build 500 units of housing and shelter in 500 days and makes critical investments in infrastructure, transit, land conservation, workforce and small business support, and climate action.
King County continues to face significant budget constraints, and the General Fund is facing a $120 million shortfall in the 2028-2029 biennium. To lessen the severity of reductions in 2028-2029, every agency receiving funding from the General Fund was asked to identify savings. As a result, the proposed budget includes $15.4 million in General Fund savings, including $8.7 million in reductions.
As a part of the Executive’s good governance work, the proposed budget increases the General Fund’s emergency reserves to the maximum of 8% of annual revenues, which allows the County to respond to unanticipated needs. The budget also includes $28M in the County’s “Rainy Day Fund.” This supports the County ‘s excellent AAA bond rating which allows the County to borrow money at a lower cost.
“This budget is about making real progress on our region’s most pressing priorities: building more affordable places to call home, expanding access to behavioral health services, and making sure our roads and infrastructure are safe, reliable, and ready for the future,” said Executive Zahilay. “This budget also advances our commitment to building a better, more effective government by investing in accessibility improvements, hiring new public defenders, and strengthening fiscal oversight. We are continuing to be responsible stewards of public funds, identifying savings and efficiencies wherever possible.”
Key investments in the Executive’s proposed budget include:
- $19.5 million to create 612 new units of shelter and affordable housing throughout the region, advancing the Executive’s Breaking the Cycle commitment to fund, site, and develop 500 units of shelter and housing in 500 days.
- $198 million in major capital investments to expand access to critical healthcare, including building out the Seattle Crisis Care Center and new medical facilities and infrastructure at Harborview Medical Center.
- $100 million in conservation funding to protect 1,500 acres of land, increasing access to urban greenspace, restoring habitat, and protecting forestland and farmland for future generations.
- $68 million to invest in the preservation, maintenance, and safety of county-owned roads and bridges.
- $64.4 million for the RapidRide R line to expedite delivery of the project and improve transit between Downtown Seattle and Rainier Beach.
- $19 million for tenant improvements to activate space in King County owned buildings, including the implementation of the County’s hybrid work policy.
- $12 million in parks funds for a new public regional sports facility in Marymoor Park matched by a $12 million private investment.
- $9.3 million in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) investments to help King County become universally accessible to all, including upgrades at county-owned facilities and ADA compliance for public-facing digital services.
- $5 million to hire new attorneys, supervisors, and support staff in the Department of Public Defense to meet new legally required caseload standards and ensure clients receive high-quality legal representation.
- $4.6 million to protect residents from extreme weather, lower energy costs, reduce pollution, and prepare workers for clean energy jobs. Investments include expanding the Energize program to improve heating, cooling, and energy efficiency in communities hardest hit by climate change, supporting neighborhood hubs that provide resources and relief during emergencies, and training workers for clean energy jobs.
- $4.4 million to extend the lease of the Salvation Army’s SODO Shelter through the end of 2027, preserving over 200 shelter beds.
- $4.2 million to strengthen oversight of public dollars in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), adding capacity to address audit requirements, improve procurement, and ensure contracts deliver promised services. This investment builds on recent improvements and advances the Executive’s Better Government commitment to accountability and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
- $2.5 million to sustain the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s work, supporting community partners who intervene in conflicts, prevent retaliation, and connect people at highest risk of gun violence with support. This investment continues critical prevention work that would otherwise end in December 2026.
- $1.05 million to support workforce development programs and small business technical assistance throughout King County.
- $500,000 to establish a new Office of Labor Standards to strengthen labor standards and support an empowered workforce in unincorporated areas.
The budget also begins implementing base budget review as directed in Executive Zahilay’s Better Government Executive Order, saving $24 million in the capital program that can be used on future projects.
The King County Council will now take up the proposed budget for deliberation and adoption.
“Thank you to Executive Zahilay for his leadership in proactively addressing the challenging issues facing the county through his budget proposal,” said King County Council Chair Sarah Perry. “This proposed budget demonstrates his focus on maximizing the resources available to us and his understanding of how necessary it is that we remain nimble as we face uncertain state and federal policy changes. His proposal is prudent while still addressing the most urgent needs across our county. I look forward to working with my Council colleagues to ensure our budget continues to be both responsible and responsive to the needs of our districts and the county as a whole.”
“Without raising property taxes, this budget makes important investments in housing, shelter, climate resiliency, public safety, and accelerates the timeline for the critical Rapid Ride R bus line,” said King County Council Budget Chair Rod Dembowski. “It fully funds our reserves, protecting our top tier bond rating. I commend Executive Zahilay for this very strong and fiscally prudent proposal. The Council is ready to go to work and get it adopted before Thanksgiving.”