Photo highlights – 2022

2022

Working to make Substance Use Disorder and mental health treatment accessible to ALL in King County

2022  |  Substance use disorder is a complex disease that touches many in our community and across our entire country. It’s also an increasingly urgent issue here in King County, where fatal overdoses spiked 40% in 2021 compared to 2020. Meanwhile, substance use has been on the rise nationwide, with 13% of Americans reporting having started or increased substance use since the start of the pandemic.

Because of my own experience with finding sobriety from alcohol, I am passionate about finding ways to improve substance use disorder treatment here in King County. A few examples of my recent work on this issue include:

• Prioritizing federal COVID-19 funding to increase the amount of available treatment at both County-run and third-party behavioral health facilities;
• Supporting the health of our youth by working to fund early intervention on substance use and mental health struggles, as well as an awareness campaign sharing the risks of substance use for young people;
•  Fighting the stigma that surrounds substance use disorder by proposing a public awareness campaign to share the message that addiction is a physical disease that is medically treatable;
• Championing an ordinance that increases protections against “zoom-bombing” for virtual recovery meetings; and
• Forming and hosting King County’s first ever annual Conference on Substance Use Disorders to elevate the conversation about recovery and share resources.

I believe that together, we can make King County a national leader in recovery!

Celebrating the 25th anniversaries of the Cities of Maple Valley and Covington

2022  |  This year we celebrated two very special anniversaries, the 25th birthdays of both the City of Maple Valley and the City of Covington. I was honored to present both Maple Valley Mayor Sean Kelly and Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner with a King County Council Recognition to honor the occasion and highlight the history of the communities that span back generations. Here’s to another 25 years and beyond, Maple Valley and Covington!

2022 District 9 Survey results: Learning more about what matters to YOU

Spring 2022 |  Recently, I sent out a survey to the residents of District 9 to learn more about what issues matter most to you. From this survey, I heard that right now, our community members care most about public safety and crime, taxes, and homelessness. More survey results are included in the graphic above. Thank you to everyone who responded—your voice is invaluable in helping me learn more about the priorities of our community!

Hosting outdoor movie nights at King County parks across District 9

Summer 2022  |  Each summer, I look forward to hosting outdoor movie nights at King County parks in our District. This year, we held two movie showings at Ravensdale Park and Petrovitsky Park, where I enjoyed the chance to welcome the crowd and chat with movie-goers. Thank you to everyone who joined us! To stay up to date on more events around the area, sign up for my weekly emails.

Amplifying King County’s fight against the surge in fentanyl overdose deaths

September 2022  |  Earlier this year, I led the Council in declaring fentanyl a public health crisis in King County to sound the alarm that fentanyl is lethal and prevalent in the illicit drug trade. This legislation also tasked King County with identifying strategies to amplify its efforts to reduce the number of people dying from fentanyl.

Sadly, between 2020 and 2021, King County saw a shocking 128% increase in deaths caused by fentanyl–more than double. As of September 2022, we have already far surpassed 2021’s record total of fentanyl-related overdoses, a clear indication that without further intervention, fentanyl will continue to claim the lives of far too many people in our communities. I am hopeful that my legislation will help forge a path to fight harder against this deadly drug.

Latest budget increases funding for law enforcement and courts

2022  |  I have been working hard to increase funding for the criminal justice system in King County. In fact, the 2021-22 supplemental budget included additional investments for the Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office.

Below are some of major items:

• Sheriff’s Office - $2,926,000; 4.0 FTEs
• Prosecuting Attorney - Sexually Violent Predator Program: $1,199,500; 5.0 FTEs, ongoing.
• Prosecuting Attorney - Add Civil Division Staff: $562,000; 7.0 FTEs, ongoing. • Prosecuting Attorney - Add Hate Crime Staff: $117,000; 2.0 FTEs, ongoing.

Over the last two years alone, the King County Council has approved increasing the Sheriff’s Office funding by an additional $9,100,000 and adding 22 full time employees. The total appropriation for the Sheriff’s office upon final passage of this latest budget will be $418,088,000 for every two years and 1,113.5 full time employees (FTE).

I am happy to announce this investment. I hear from constituents at town halls and through surveys, and the message is loud and clear - 70% of my constituents believe that crime and public safety was the top issue that King County should be addressing. Further, a study of urban unincorporated King County found as their number one finding that “Residents want a well-staffed King County Sheriff’s Office to address slow response times and increase the amount of police presence they see in their neighborhoods.” Read report.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter above to keep up to date with the budget process and other happenings at the King County Council.

Working to fill vacant Sheriff’s Deputy positions

2022  |  Now more than ever, we need good deputies who have a heart for the job and a drive to build positive relationships in our community. In response to officer shortages at the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) that are making it challenging to staff even basic patrol duties, I went to work to make sure that our County is doing everything we can to fill these vacant positions. Legislation I sponsored to add a full-time recruiter focused on finding and hiring high-quality, qualified deputies was approved by the full Council in July. I’m glad to lead this important effort to fill the dozens of KCSO vacancies so that we can continue to keep our communities safe. More information: Seattle Weekly.

Supporting IRONMAN 70.3 in Maple Valley

September 2021  |  I am proud to have supported IRONMAN 70.3 in Maple Valley by working to secure King County funding for traffic control, trail fee waivers, and staging areas, in addition to assisting with permitting and coordination with the Roads Division. After years of planning and anticipation, as well as a delay due to the pandemic, our community was able to come together and host athletes and supporters from across the country, showing them everything we have to offer. So many fantastic community leaders, volunteers, and organizations supported IRONMAN and made sure it went off without a hitch. I was glad to be a part of the endeavor!

Safely enjoying community at drive-in movies

Summer 2022  |  Every summer, I look forward to joining our community at outdoor movies in King County parks across District 9. This year, due to the pandemic, we had to switch things up and host a drive-in movie at Ravensdale Park instead. I am always happy to partner with our King County Parks Department to put together events like this for everyone across our community.

Our continued fight against the proposed SR 169 asphalt plant

2022 | For years now, I have been fighting to stop the proposed asphalt plant along SR 169, across from the Cedar River. After the mortarium I sponsored against the asphalt plant expired, we are continuing to advocate against this industrial use that threatens to dramatically change the rural and residential character of our community and put our salmon and environment at risk.

I am working to reduce the impact of industrial uses in the area by continuing to join the community to oppose the asphalt plant and provide an alternative pathway for the site to be used as open space for trails and a buffer. I will continue to stand up for the people that live around this proposed plant and do everything in my power to stop it.