KPLU Local News
(2009-10-23)
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SEATTLE, WA
(KPLU) -
Perhaps the most contentious race on the November ballot is the one for King County executive. Candidates Dow Constantine and Susan Hutchison are trying to prove to voters they can lead a government that serves nearly two million people, a population larger than 14 states. King County is facing its toughest budget crisis since the Depression. Both candidates say they have the mettle to lead it through these toughest of times.
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Here's a short list of recent King County controversies: tens of millions in budget cuts, charges of animal neglect at its shelters, a scathing audit report. And still the county's been able to come through with basic services. So I put this question to Dow Constantine and Susan Hutchison: is King County government broken?
Susan Hutchison: (laughs) "Yes. It is absolutely broken, by any measure."
Dow Constantine: "King County government is not broken. What King County government is, is rusty. There are old institutions that need to be reformed."
We'll explore their perspectives more. But first I wanted to talk to the person with the front row seat. As interim executive, Kurt Triplett has had to manage controversies, cut $93 million from this year's budget, and $56 million dollars from next year's. He's got a warning: it's about to get a lot worse. The projection for 2011 is a shortfall of $54 million dollars.
"You're simply not going to be able to close that gap without major cuts to police, corrections officers, prosecutors or the courts. That's not a question of efficiency, that's a question of a radical dismantling of the county government," Triplett says.
Triplett's talking about having to choose which basic services to cut. That's unprecedented in recent memory. The county's mandate is to fund public safety, run public health programs and manage elections, and fund the executive and council administration. The biggest piece of the budget pie is law and justice, 76% and growing. All these basics are paid out of the general fund, which is fed by two sources: sales taxes and property taxes, hit hard during this recession.
"The cuts we are having to make are being driven by the fact that we simply don't get the revenues we need to keep our levels of service," he adds.
Unlike cities, counties can't levy utility taxes or head taxes without permission from the state and that's a political fight the county has lost for years. That doesn't bother Hutchison.
You know I have a different view of revenues." She says it's not additional revenues she'd lobby the state for. She wants tax cuts to make the county more attractive to business.
"And we're going to go to Olympia and ask for a reform of the B & O tax, at the lower levels of the start-ups and fledgling small businesses."
Hutchison is not deterred by the fact King County doesn't levy a Business and Operation tax. She says the way to turn around a budget is to turn around the economy. Constantine agrees, and says as a former legislator, he offers voters an advantage.
"King County will have a much better relationship with the state legislature, when I'm in charge." He says he would take up the fight to lobby for new tax options to help the county fund what's expected.
"It is fascinating the contrast and perspectives between Olympia, which is quite isolated, and local government where people are depending on you every day for their bus to show up, for their kids to be able to get their shots, these basic services."
How would they handle the coming cuts to those services? Constantine says he'd cut more from the council and executive budgets. "We can drive that money into supporting the health and human services part, even the law, safety and justice part, which is a large part of the budget," he says.
Hutchison, a former TV anchor, did not grant KPLU a face to face interview, but finally agreed to a phone interview after more than a week of repeated requests. She says her budget priority is public safety, and she'd also make cuts to the executive office. But she says its time to talk with union workers about their wages and benefits.
"This is not something that county government can do alone. We have to partner with them, because we have to make choices. And it will come down to jobs or come down to adjustments in pay scales and benefits packages."
Hutchison says she'd propose a human services levy to fund important health programs. Constantine says it's not the time to raise taxes - even by a popular vote. Again, he'd fund public health through administrative cuts.
So how do you weigh the hard choices between basic services? We asked people in Fairwood, an unincorporated community southeast of Renton what they would cut or keep.
Martin: "Well I think it's probably important not to take away from the police services."
Meredith: "We're not using any public transportation. I would say that would be the lesser of the evils."
Ann: "It feels like government needs to cut their health benefits, like everybody else."
The mix of answers is no surprise to Kurt Triplett. Ultimately the answer will come from voters, who, he says, need to be asked an important question.
"Is this the county you want, public? It may be the county you can afford, but is it the county you really want? And I hope the next executive and the next council will ask the voters to make a different choice than just having to cut, cut, cut because I think that's what is coming up." That choice may be to raise taxes. And Triplett says as pressing as he thinks the budget crisis is, that's not even the place where the new executive will begin their work. He says they'll have to deal with two big problems first: the potential widespread outbreak of H1N1 flu, and protecting life and property in the flood-threatened Green River Valley, a flood that may not wait for Constantine or Hutchison to take office. Gary Davis, KPLU News, Seattle.
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