2023 – News about Councilmember Reagan Dunn

December 5, 2023
Dunn votes no on VSHS levy implementation plan, cites funding stripped from local food banks
“When voters approved the VSHSL levy, I believe they envisioned supporting services to our vulnerable residents—veterans, seniors, and others—before redistributing dozens of millions of taxpayer dollars to nonprofit worker salaries. During these hard economic times, as our food banks are seeing skyrocketing demand and running out of food, it’s wrong to fund salary boosts for our contractors instead of funding food for hungry people in our communities, and I cannot support it.”

October 19, 2023
Dunn nominates 3rd-generation Enumclaw resident Judi Puttman as Drainage District Commissioner
“Judi's passion for this work and strong connection to the community makes her a clear choice to represent Drainage District No. 13. I am proud to appoint her to this position and am confident she will serve us well.”

October 17, 2023
Dunn pushes back against $18 toll rates, cites ‘war on commuters’
“For many in King County, owning a car is a necessity, not a luxury. The shocking proposal to raise I-405 tolls to $18 is just the latest affront to taxpayers in the war on commuters. I vehemently oppose this regressive toll hike that would disproportionately hurt families that are already struggling to make ends meet.”

October 12, 2023
After growing calls for Director of Law Enforcement Oversight to resign, Dunn asks Council to adopt tougher standards of conduct
Following a controversial statement from King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) Director Tamer Abouzeid defending Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn is proposing legislation that would set a code of conduct for this appointed government leadership position.

October 11, 2023
Dunn honors Northwood Middle School with road designation
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Tuesday joined staff and students from Northwood Middle School to celebrate the honorary road designation of SE 184th St in Fairwood as Jaguar Way in recognition of the school’s mascot, the jaguar.

October 2, 2023
Dunn Calls for State Audit of County-funded Juvenile Diversion Programs
Following King County’s transmittal of a review of the controversial Restorative Community Pathways program this past weekend, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn today sent a letter to Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy requesting state performance and financial audits of controversial King County-funded juvenile diversion programs.

September 13, 2023
King County Flood Control District awards $12.1 million in grants for salmon recovery and habitat restoration
More than $12 million in grant funding aimed at improving water quality, protecting and restoring habitat, and supporting salmon recovery efforts in four King County watersheds was unanimously approved by the King County Flood Control District.

September 6, 2023
King County Council approves major $526,309 grant for Enumclaw Aquatic Center improvements
The King County Council approved King County Parks Levy Grants, including a $526,309 grant for the Enumclaw Aquatic Center. The Aquatic Facilities grant was awarded to the City of Enumclaw to fund a roof replacement at the Aquatic Center, which has reached the end of its useful life. In addition to the replacement, the grant will fund needed upgrades to HVAC ducting that is located on the roof.

September 6, 2023
King County Council approves major $2,500,000 grant for new Covington Aquatic Center
The King County Council on Tuesday approved King County Parks Levy Grants, including a $2,500,000 grant towards a new Covington Aquatic Center. Today’s Covington Aquatic Center, originally constructed in 1977, is at the end of its useful life due to deteriorating conditions and is increasingly at risk of a major building or equipment failure. In addition, the limited capacity of current aquatic center leads to many families and individuals who want to enjoy the pool being turned away.

September 6, 2023
Council approves $100,000 grant for Henry’s Switch Pump Track and Trails
The King County Council approved King County Parks Levy Grants, including a $100,000 grant for Henry’s Switch Pump Track and Trails. The Parks Capital & Open Space grant was awarded to the City of Maple Valley to build trails at the undeveloped Henry’s Switch parkland, providing new access to a park for the surrounding neighborhood. The new trails will also connect to the upcoming Segment A of the Green to Cedar Rivers Regional Trail, improving access to Maple Valley’s future downtown area.

September 6, 2023
King County Council approves a total of $1.7 million grant awards for Renton parks projects
The King County Council approved King County Parks Levy Grants, including a total of $1,704,440 in grants for parks projects in Renton. More than $900,000 in Aquatic Facilities grant funding was awarded to the City of Renton to complete critical capital improvements at the Henry Moses Aquatic Center, including renovation of the leisure activity pool. The pool tile and liner are failing, which would result in a closure of the pool if not replaced, but these funded improvements will allow the Aquatic Center to continue to operate for many years to come. In addition, these funds will be used to improve accessibility of the Henry Moses Aquatic Center main entrance.

September 5, 2023
During National Recovery Month, the King County Council honors David Coffey, Recovery Café with 2023 Recovery Champion Award
During National Recovery Month, the King County Council presented Recovery Café and its Executive Director David Coffey with the 2023 Recovery Champion Award. "Recovery Café, under David Coffey’s leadership, is an exemplary organization that offers life-changing services for folks who struggle with addiction and mental health,” said Dunn. “Because of their work, countless people have found hope and community along their recovery journey. Today we honor their contribution to helping folks in King County recover.”

August 9, 2023
Dunn announces $12,000 grant for substance use prevention in Enumclaw schools
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn announced that King County is awarding $12,000 to the Enumclaw School District to support its programs that work to prevent and reduce substance use, specifically cannabis, commercial tobacco, and vapor products, in middle and high schoolers.

June 28, 2023
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn honors two retiring Tahoma School District employees for their service to the community
“Dawn Wakeley and Lori Cloud exemplify what it means to do your job with passion and serve your community with pride. As they enter their well-deserved retirements, I am proud to honor Dawn and Lori for the lasting impact they have made on generations of students during their decades of service to Tahoma.”

June 14, 2023
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn Delivers $25,000 to Support IRONMAN in Maple Valley
“In addition to being a fun event for people of all ages, IRONMAN provides a much-appreciated economic boost to local businesses in our region. I am glad to see IRONMAN return to Maple Valley and am proud to once again support it!”

June 13, 2023
Dunn awards Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service to Bill Kombol
“I am pleased to honor Bill for his decades of service to Southeast King County, particularly for his great contributions to historic preservation. Without him, many stories from the Enumclaw and Black Diamond communities would have been forgotten and lost forever. Today we thank Bill for the countless hours and passion he has poured into his volunteerism.”

June 7, 2023
Jaguar Way may be coming soon to Fairwood
“With today’s action, we are one step closer to giving SE 184th Street a new name in celebration of Northwood Middle School, a treasured part of the Fairwood community. Since Northwood is expanding to include sixth grade this fall, this honorary road designation is a great way we can welcome these new young students to campus.”

May 23, 2023
King County earns national Achievement Award for Council-backed ‘Don’t Count Us Out’ substance use disorder, recovery stigma reduction campaign
“We know that fear of judgement and scorn is one of the biggest factors that prevent people from seeking treatment for a substance use disorder. This is why I wanted to see this campaign take place — to increase everyone’s awareness that, with help and support, recovery is possible for all. I am grateful to the National Association of Counties for their recognition of this important message and hope it will encourage other counties to put similar programs in place.”

May 16, 2023
Dunn leads Council in honoring law enforcement during National Police Week
The King County Council on Tuesday joined communities across the United States in recognition of National Police Week. The annual celebration, celebrated this year from May 14-20, honors and remembers those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers they left behind.

May 12, 2023
King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders brings together local leaders, record-level attendees to talk about ongoing drug crisis
“I was incredibly pleased by the large crowd and impactful discussions happening at our third annual King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders. There is a lot of interest in collaborating and working across the aisle to help folks struggling with substance use disorder find their road to recovery. The hope in the room was tangible — and I believe that, together, we can find real solutions to tackle the ongoing drug and overdose crisis.”

May 2, 2023
Dunn applauds Gov. Inslee for calling special session on Blake fix
“I applaud the Governor for having the courage and fortitude to convene a special session to address the impending lapse of statewide laws against public drug use. The Legislature must now come to the table in good faith to find a solution so that the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in addiction recovery can be put to work and the safety of our communities can be protected..."

April 26, 2023
Dunn seeks to criminalize public drug use in King County following state Legislature’s failure to deliver Blake fix
“Enabling open air drug use in our communities hurts everyone — not only our children and law-abiding citizens, but the drug users themselves who are, tragically, dying in droves from overdoses. King County must act immediately to protect the safety of our communities by making the consumption of dangerous drugs in public an arrestable offense.” 

April 17, 2023
Dunn applauds passage of lowered threshold for police pursuits
“The state Legislature made the right decision to protect public safety by restoring our police’s ability to pursue suspects. After restrictions on police pursuit were put in place in 2020, incidents of suspects evading law enforcement almost tripled in King County — an alarming trend that put our communities at great risk. This legislation is the first step in reversing that trend.” 

March 21, 2023
Recovery leaders announce 3rd Annual King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders
“Our region continues to witness more and more people dying of overdoses year after year—a tragedy that has touched the lives of too many mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends. In the midst of this overdose crisis, the King County Conference on Substance Use Disorders seeks to offer solutions and hope. I encourage anyone who is interested in increasing their understanding of how to help folks find their path to recovery to attend this informative and unique event.” 

March 14, 2023
Dunn seeks greater transparency on King County homelessness facilities after record-number of overdose deaths
“The rising rate of people experiencing homelessness who are dying of overdose while living in King County is very alarming and raises important questions of how these deaths are occurring and what more can be done to intervene. This legislation is an opportunity to increase transparency for taxpayers and a first step toward seeking ways to stop these deaths from occurring.”

February 14, 2023
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, State Rep. Chris Corry Work to Bring Back Employees Lost to Vaccine Mandate
“Now that vaccination requirements have been rolled back, this is our opportunity to bring back those public servants—especially our first responders, including law enforcement and emergency personnel—who lost their jobs. Especially as the county continues to struggle to hire enough deputies to fully staff our Sheriff’s Office, we should focus on bringing back and retaining the high-quality, experienced employees that we very much need to fully staff our work.”

February 6, 2023
Dunn applauds lifting of King County COVID-19 vaccine mandate
“I’m grateful that since the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for King County employees was put in place over a year ago, the harshest forms of the virus have waned, and our community has shown great progress in our recovery — both physically and economically. I applaud the Executive’s decision to end the vaccine mandate and am eager to see our region get back to business as usual.”

January 30, 2023
Dunn: Alarming surge in drivers eluding King County cops demands state-level fix
“When criminals and suspects are legally allowed to ignore and evade the police, it’s law-abiding citizens who pay the price. Here in King County, police evasions without pursuit have nearly tripled since legal restrictions were implemented — an unacceptable figure for our communities who deserve to be safe in their own neighborhoods. State lawmakers must act now to fix this dangerous policy.”

January 26, 2023
Dunn ‘deeply concerned’ about King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s jaw-dropping $11.8 billion price tag to end homelessness
“Homelessness is a very serious problem, so it breaks my heart to see the KCRHA double down on Seattle’s failed policies on homelessness. We know from King County’s 2019 Point-in-Time Count that 45% of the homeless come here from outside our area to take advantage of our generous services. Until we come to terms with this, King County will be a dead-end street for the nation’s homelessness.”

January 3, 2023
2022’s most popular pet names in King County include Bella and Luna — with Corona trending upward
King County residents registered more than 62,000 dogs and 26,000 cats in 2022, with the names Bella and Luna topping the lists. 

January 3, 2023
Luna, Jack Top 2022’s list of 10 most popular pet names in Newcastle
With 850 dogs registered and 297 cats, the names Luna and Jack topped the most popular pet names in Newcastle in 2022.