King County Budget Overview

1
King County Budget Overview

• Office of Management and Budget

2
King County 2004 Budget Highlights

• King County Budget 2.9 billion
• General Fund Budget 513 million
• 73 of General Fund expenditures are law, safety,
  and justice
• 7 (33 million) of General Fund expenditures are
  health and human services
• 76 of General Fund taxes are property taxes
  capped at 1 by I-747

3
King County General Fund Budget Crisis Overview

• Revenues growing about 2 per year
• Expenditures growing about 5-6 per year
• 2002 - 41 million deficit
• 2003 - 52 million deficit
• 2004 - 24 million deficit
• Facing cuts of approximately 20 million (3-5)
  annually

4
2004 Adopted King County Budget Expenditures 2.9
Billion
(Facility improvements acquisition for Boeing
Field, Harborview Medical Center, Jail,
Courthouse, County roads, Parks, etc.)
(Law Safety Justice, Human Services, General
Government)
(Public Health, County Roads, 911, EMS, Veterans,
Mental Health, various Grants)
(Internal County services, employee benefits, IT,
facilities finance, workers compensation)
(Solid Waste, Transit, Wastewater, Airport)
5
2004 Adopted General Fund Expenditures 513
million
General Government 86 m (17)
Health Human Services 33 m (7)
Criminal Justice 376 m 73
Parks DDES 6 m (1)
Capital Improvements 11 m (2)
6
What has been done to address revenue-expenditure
gap?

• Reorganized county government and applied
  business principles
• Consolidated departments - 14 to 6 and cut
  overhead
• Re-structured juvenile justice operations
• Renegotiated jail contracts with cities
• Working with Prosecutor, Sheriff, Superior and
  District Courts to find operational efficiencies
• Renegotiated medical benefits with unions in 2002
  - doubling employee co-pays

7
What has been done? (contd.)

• Transferred in-city parks and pools, cut spending
  35 and submitted 4-year voter approved levy for
  parks
• Cut 11 m in health and human service programs
• Increased fees for services
• Renegotiated district court contracts w/ cities
• Charging rent to solid waste utility to fund
  human services that would otherwise be cut
• Promoting annexation of urban unincorporated
  areas
• Established Budget Advisory Task Forceworking to
  implement its recommendations
• NO GENERAL TAX INCREASE

8
Strategies for the Future

• Search for operating efficiencies
• Seek greater authority to set fees for state
  mandated services
• Seek utility tax authority for urban
  unincorporated areas
• Promote annexation of urban unincorporated areas
  to cities - reducing General Fund subsidy of 37
  million per year.