Summary

In response to passage Tuesday of the seventh COVID-19 supplemental budget – the largest in county history, topping $630 million – King County Vice Chair Reagan Dunn issued a statement.

Story

In response to passage Tuesday of the seventh COVID-19 supplemental budget – the largest in county history, topping $630 million – King County Vice Chair Reagan Dunn issued the following statement:

“Today I voted no on the seventh COVID-19 supplemental budget because it fails to fund the most basic functions of our County government — criminal justice and public safety. We have heard from the Sheriff’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office, and sitting judges of the King County Superior and District Courts about the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system’s ability to operate. We are seeing an unprecedented backlog in both violent and non-violent felony cases, an 86% increase in murders, and a significant increase in hate and bias crimes. With the facts before us, the safety of our community is at stake with no relief in sight—and that is unacceptable. We cannot lose sight of our basic job as elected County leaders, and I believe that this budget has.”