Balducci to chair two key committees in 2024

January 9, 2024

As part of the King County Council’s reorganization motion adopted today, Councilmember Claudia Balducci of District 6, will chair the Council’s Committee of the Whole and Regional Water Quality Committee.

“2024 brings a fresh opportunity to tackle the biggest challenges our region faces and to live up to our values as the county named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,” Balducci said. “I am honored to serve as Chair of the Committee of the Whole, where we will take up many of these challenges, and committed to working with my colleagues and the community to craft solutions that will serve all King County residents.”

The Council's Committee of the Whole (COW) includes all nine councilmembers and considers issues of interest to the entire council, including appointments to the state legislature and district court, and advocacy on federal, state and local legislation that affects King County; arts and culture; gun safety; homelessness; racial and gender equity; and a variety of other program and policy matters.

Councilmember Balducci’s priorities in 2024 include beginning to implement the almost $800 million Doors Open plan for arts, culture, heritage, and science; oversight of gun safety policies and programs; and making good on the promise of the region’s approach to homelessness response. Additionally, the Committee of the Whole will be getting out into the community via a series of townhalls to discuss pressing issues, including public safety, education, and the economy.

In her second year as Regional Water Quality Committee chair, Balducci will continue to collaborate with cities and water and sewer districts to make sure King County has adequate sewer facilities to protect clean water in our waterways, including advocating for keeping so called “forever chemicals” out of our streams, rivers, lakes and Puget Sound.

Regionally, she will continue to chair the King County Affordable Housing Committee at a pivotal time during the development and adoption of city and county comprehensive plans. She also will continue to serve on the Puget Sound Regional Council executive board and as a board member for King County’s cultural funding agency, 4 Culture.

Balducci, who was just sworn in for her third term on Council, served as Chair of the Council for three years in a row (2020-2022), shepherding the Council through the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a longstanding and outspoken member of the Sound Transit Board, advocating for better transit service and faster rollouts of our region’s major transit expansion.

Full committee assignments will be posted here this week.