Summary

Panels will review different aspects of spending plan

Story

The three panels that will direct the Metropolitan King County Council’s evaluation of the Executive Proposed 2011 King County Budget begin next week.

During the budget process, all nine Councilmembers serve on the Budget Committee. Each member will serve on one of the three panels that will examine specific aspects of the budget proposal:

• Councilmember Larry Gossett will chair the General Government Panel, and it will meet on Tuesdays, starting Tuesday, October 5. This panel will be responsible for reviewing the budgets for several agencies including the County Executive and County Council.

• Councilmember Reagan Dunn will direct the Law and Justice Panel, which will meet every Wednesday, starting Wednesday October 6. Law and Justice will evaluate the proposed budgets for the King County Sheriff, the King County Prosecutor and the District and Superior Courts.

• Councilmember Kathy Lambert will serve as Vice Chair of the Budget Leadership Team and direct the Health and Human Services Panel, which will hold its first meeting Thursday, October 7. The panel will assess the Executive’s proposed plan for public health agencies and the future of human service funding.

All of the Budget Panel meetings will be carried live both online and on King County TV, seen on Comcast and Broadstripe Cable Channel 22. By tradition, the Council adopts the County budget on the Monday before Thanksgiving.