Two King County organizations honored with first-ever Executive's Awards for Community Preparedness
Two local organizations were recognized today by King County Executive Dow Constantine for their commitment to emergency preparedness and response. VashonBePrepared and the Carnation-Duvall Citizen Corps Council were both honored with the first-ever Executive’s Awards for Community Preparedness.

King County Executive reaches creative solution that moves forward North Lot development
King County Executive Dow Constantine was joined by developer Kevin Daniels, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark, and former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer today to break ground on the long-awaited North Lot development next to CenturyLink Field - a project that is key to revitalization of Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.

2012 Executive proposed budget address
Last year I stood before you with a budget I very much did not want to present. I said it was an imperfect budget, an unpleasant budget. Our budget was a vessel afloat, but at risk of being pulled under by the Great Recession. We kept the ship of state afloat, but only by cutting important services and lightening the load. Ninety percent of our employees and most of our unions helped, by sacrificing their cost-of-living allowance. I pledged that by creating ongoing, annual efficiencies of three percent, we could right the ship and chart a new course toward fiscal sustainability.

Constantine delivers budget with no cuts to general services, thanks to efficiencies and savings
King County Executive Dow Constantine today delivered a balanced 2012 budget with no cuts to services in the General Fund – a budget that embraces his reform agenda of partnering with employees to create efficiencies that maintain the current level of services at three percent less cost.

Public celebrates clean water as Brightwater begins operations
After more than a decade of planning and construction, local dignitaries and community members joined King County Executive Dow Constantine to celebrate an extraordinary regional investment in clean water with the start of Brightwater Treatment Plant operations.

Cat reunited with owners after three years on the loose
A local family is celebrating a reunion, thanks to Regional Animal Services of King County. Sherrie Fox and her family lost their cat, Oscar, about three years ago when he ran away from their home in Auburn. For months, Fox visited the King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent almost daily looking for her feline friend, with no luck.

King County Executive reaches creative solution that moves forward North Lot development
King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced an agreement that will allow for the long-held goal of constructing a mixed-use development with affordable housing to begin in Seattle's Pioneer Square, on the parking lot just north of the old Kingdome site.

Task force proposed to evaluate siting of schools in rural areas of King County
A task force to evaluate the siting of schools in the rural areas of King County has been proposed for consideration by the Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC), a countywide planning body that has been working to update the set of growth policies that governs jurisdictions in King County.

King County Executive announces dramatic health care savings through reforms
As governments and businesses everywhere see their cost of providing health care rising, King County Executive Dow Constantine today said the County has dramatically lowered its projected cost of providing health care for employees

Regional disaster drill tests recovery capabilities
FEMA Region X, The Boeing Company, King County, and the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila participated in an unprecedented four-day disaster recovery exercise.

King County Executive, City Mayors hail announcement on Howard Hanson Dam
King County Executive Dow Constantine joined the Mayors of Auburn, Kent, Renton, and Tukwila to hail the announcement from the US Army Corps of Engineers that the Corps will operate the Howard Hanson Dam this storm season at its normal design capacity.

County continues to make it easier to do business with government
A new initiative proposed by King County Executive Dow Constantine would expand opportunities for small businesses and grow the local economy.

Deteriorating roads and declining revenues compel County to propose new maintenance priorities
Steep declines in the revenues supporting the King County Road Fund – accompanied by ongoing deterioration of aging road surfaces – will require implementation of a tiered system of prioritizing road maintenance, storm response and snow removal, under the 2012 County budget to be proposed Sept. 26 by King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Vancouver earthquake: reminder to prepare
Many King County and West Coast residents felt the earth move under their feet Friday afternoon, the result of a preliminary magnitude 6.4 earthquake centered off Vancouver Island.

Executive: American Jobs Act will help put people of King County back to work
King County Executive Dow Constantine tonight urged support for President Obama's job creation plan:

Ten years after 9/11
The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy causes many of us to reflect on both the innocent lives lost a decade ago, and our own level of readiness when disaster of any kind strikes.

Inquest ordered into fatal police shooting of man in Walmart parking lot in Federal Way
King County Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the shooting death of Jedidiah Waters in a Walmart parking lot by a Federal Way Police Officer on July 21, 2011.