Patterson: “Human services prevent suffering”

September 28, 2009

Summary

Committed to protecting the most vulnerable

Story

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Julia Patterson today shared her commitment to keeping the public safe and protecting the most vulnerable during the Council’s 2010 Budget deliberations.

Executive Kurt Triplett’s proposed budget closes a $56 million dollar deficit in the County’s General Fund, which provides support to criminal justice, human services, parks, and many other of the county’s daily activities. In his proposal, the Executive proposes zeroing out funding human services.

“After reviewing the Executive’s budget, we will be faced with hard choices about which human services to fund and which to cut,” said Councilmember Patterson, who will chair the Health and Human Services Panel for the Budget Leadership Team. “We must prioritize funding for those human services that keep our jail populations down and reduces emergency room visits. These are the most basic services for the prevention of human suffering.”

Patterson also stressed the importance of the County’s role in providing public health services which, like other government functions supported with general fund dollars, have sustained significant cuts over the last two years.

“We must do everything possible to sustain a strong public health system in King County” said Patterson. “As Chair of the King County Board of Health, I’m proud to announce a plan for our public health centers that maintains most of our capacity.”

Under the Executive’s plan, the Northshore Public Health Center in Bothell will remain open through a partnership with the HealthPoint, a network of community health centers in King County. The County will lease the Center to HealthPoint, which will provide primary care services, and will then lease back a portion of the space to continue to provide complementary Maternity Support Services and Women Infants and Children’s services at the center.

Over the next two months, the Council will deliberate over the Executive’s proposed budget and will adopt a final budget in late November. During this time, residents throughout King County are encouraged to participate in public hearings on the budget. On October 13, the King County Council will host a public hearing at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The hearing will take place in Courtroom 3F and starts at 7:00 p.m.