Health clinic, County Fair, park and community celebration highlights of adopted County Budget for District 9

November 17, 2014

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Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn said residents of Council District 9 will see the benefits of today’s unanimously adopted King County 2015-2016 Biennial Budget throughout the district.

“This is a budget that protects public safety, keeps our health clinics open and restores funding for the Sheriff’s domestic violence unit,” said Dunn. “As with most budgets, there have been many hard choices along the way but I’m thankful the County Council has been able to work together to maintain the services our residents rely on the most.”

Despite continued fiscal challenges created by the Great Recession, the adopted budget provides critical services for county residents and continues to preserve King County’s AAA bond rating by not using the County’s cash reserves or tapping the rainy day fund.

The 2015-2016 Budget will maintain services at the vital Enumclaw Health Clinic for the next two years. King County, working in collaboration with local businesses, individuals and cities, including financial contributions from the cities of Enumclaw and Black Diamond, were able to generate enough funding to keep the doors open.

“Maintaining Health care services at the Enumclaw Clinic was one of my top budget priorities,” Dunn said. “If the clinic had closed, over 1700 individuals who utilized the clinic last year would have had to travel great distances to receive these services.”

The Enumclaw clinic is a satellite office of the Auburn Health Center which was proposed to be closed as part of the Executive-Proposed 2015-2016 Budget. The Council’s budget proposal would maintain funding of the Auburn office and by extension the Enumclaw office.

“Enumclaw was proud to be part of the effort to keep the Enumclaw Health Center open,” said Mayor Liz Reynolds. “Our community relies on the center to help our young families get off to a healthy start as they raise their children. My thanks to King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn for working with us to find a solution and to the King County Council for including the funding in their budget.”

“We were pleased to join with the other local cities to provide funding to help keep the Enumclaw Health Clinic open,” said Black Diamond City Councilmember Tamie Deady. “This center provides a vital health lifeline for many Black Diamond residents.”

As the “local” government for the 250,000 county residents who live in unincorporated communities, the County’s 2015-2016 Biennial Budget includes funds that impact those communities. The budget maintains current staffing levels in the Sheriff’s office and also restores the Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Unit—two detectives and a community service officer.

“Domestic violence suspects have the highest likelihood to reoffend violently – up to and including murder,” said Sheriff John Urquhart. “The King County Council is showing true leadership by stepping up and reinvesting in this critical part of the Sheriff’s Office infrastructure.”

It also includes funds to double the Executive’s proposal for resources used to enforce local nuisance complaints and the adopted budget also dedicates an additional $6 million in the biennium to be used for road maintenance work.

Other important items of interest for County Council District 9 include a number of County investments that will increase recreational activities and increase quality of life opportunities for residents of the district:

• $10,000 for the King County Fair

Held at the Enumclaw Expo Center, the King County Fair is the longest running fair West of the Mississippi. Held in the month of July, the fair includes traditional fair attractions including 4-H exhibits, carnival rides, vendors, food, entertainment and more.

“The King County Fair is a time honored tradition that we all should work hard to ensure its continued success,” said Dunn, “I look forward to attending the fair this upcoming summer for what will be its 152nd year in supporting our agricultural community in King County.

Since 2009 the city of Enumclaw has had the responsibility for the operation of the King County Fair.

“This fair is a highlight for our Ag community every summer and we appreciate the support Reagan Dunn has given the fair over the years,” said Enumclaw said Mayor Liz Reynolds. “This funding from King County will allow us to make the fair even better in 2015.”

• $5,000 to the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council for the Wilderness Village Pocket Park

“Once completed this pocket park will turn an unused alley into a vibrant community gathering space,” said Dunn. “I’m thankful the county is able to partner with the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council to help fund this important project.”

“We are grateful to Reagan Dunn and the King County Council for understanding the importance of this project to our community and wanting to help make it a success,” said Mary Jane Glaser, President of the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council.

• $5,000 to start planning for the 50th anniversary of the unincorporated community of Fairwood in 2016.

Fairwood is an unincorporated community of over 25,000 residents located next to the cities of Kent and Renton.

“It gives me great pleasure to begin planning the 50th anniversary of the unincorporated community of Fairwood,” said Dunn. “The Fairwood community hasn’t had an opportunity for some time to come together to hold a community wide celebration, as such I want to make sure we have sufficient time to plan a celebration everyone will enjoy.”

“As a long-time resident and former Vice President of Fairwood Greens HOA Board of Trustees, I am happy to help celebrate the upcoming 50th Anniversary of our unincorporated community,” said Erin Aboudara, Fairwood resident and a member of the King County Women’s Advisory Board. “The Fairwood area feels just like a city, with a busy commercial business core and a beautiful, newly expanded KCLS Fairwood Library, which is to be unveiled next month. Our area boasts some of the best public schools in south King County, King County’s Petrovitsky Park is always busy with soccer practices, and we have many of our own neighborhood parks which residents enjoy year round.”

If you live in Fairwood and are interested in helping to plan plan the celebration of Fairwood’s history in 2016 please contact Councilmember Dunn’s office at (206) 477-1009 or reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov.