Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County’s Five Priorities to Stop the Surge of Overdose Deaths were first announced in March 2024 as a coordinated cross-government response to slow the opioid overdose crisis. Over the past two years, we have seen a promising overall decline in overdoses in King County: fatal overdoses decreased 32% from 2023 to 2025. Nonetheless, fatal overdoses in 2025 remain elevated compared to before 2022. Working in partnership, the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and Public Health Seattle & King County are investing in 13 actions to increase widespread access to treatment, medications, overdose reversal drugs,… Read More
Crossposted from King County Local King County’s Department of Local Services recently announced $90,000 in Alan M. Painter grants for 2026. The grants support projects that will bring together and strengthen communities across unincorporated King County. The grant program focuses on inclusivity, funding events and projects that are open to everyone regardless of race, income, or language spoken. This popular program honors Alan M. Painter, the founding director of King County’s Community Service Area program and a long-time public servant who worked for the City of Seattle before coming to King County,… Read More
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC You can make a canine a “lucky dog” this month at Regional Animal Services of King County! Through March 31, you can adopt any adult dog (six months or older) for just $50 during our “Luck of the Dog” adoption special. Adopting a dog from RASKC is always a great value. Not only will you get a friendly, furry companion, but there are lots of other benefits that come with your adoption. Thanks to our friends at Rover, all dog adopters at RASKC get a $40 voucher… Read More
The definition of a record is “any information – regardless of format – that is created, received, or maintained, and which supports, sustains or provides evidence of King County business.” Because of this broad definition, most information we have access to can be considered a record that needs to be managed. This can include, but is not limited to: Paper records Emails Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) Information in databases Audio and video files Photographs Social media and website posts Text messages And many more! For more information, visit the County… Read More
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Work has begun at the new Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) shelter location. The new shelter project will be completed in a phased approach, with the first phase focused on the offices and second floor of the building. In this first phase, the county’s Facilities Management Division (FMD) will partner with other county agencies and external contractors to remove carpet, demolish select walls and fixtures, build out a new information technology (IT) room, install security infrastructure, update flooring, and update the heating, ventilation, and air… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Long before the sun peeked over the horizon on Super Bowl victory parade day, Seahawks fans started their journeys to downtown Seattle, leaving their cars behind and boarding buses, trains, water taxis and streetcars to stake out their front-row view. With clear blue sky and sunshine, hour by hour, tens of thousands of people arrived downtown, and families and fans wearing 50 years of different team jerseys lined the streets with grins. The typical sound of downtown traffic was replaced by the buzz of fans waiting for the… Read More
Crossposted from King County Local To honor Black History Month, the Department of Local Services traveled to Skyway, an unincorporated community that’s home to the largest percentage of black community members in the state. The event was an opportunity to celebrate figures and leaders whose impact is felt today. That included recognizing King County Councilmember Rhonda Lewis – the first black woman to serve on the County Council, as well as Civil Rights-era icon and longtime former Councilmember Larry Gossett. Read more.
Crossposted from For the Defense Welcome to the King County Department of Public Defense’s Profiles in Service, a series that will highlight the contributions of our committed public servants and provide a platform for attorneys and professional staff to share their insights on the evolving practice of public defense. For our inaugural interview, recently retired attorney supervisor Deb Wilson sat down to reflect on her nearly 40 years as a public defender. Deb began her career as an investigator at The Defender Association (TDA), nearly 30 years before the four nonprofits that had… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters When King County Metro launched its “Where To?” ridership campaign, the goal was straightforward: inspiring more people to ride transit by showing the real-world adventures in King County that are just a bus ride away. That effort has now earned top national honors — a first place APTA AdWheel Award for Best Comprehensive Campaign to Increase Ridership — in recognition of its blend of creativity, strategy, and real-world impact. The Where To? campaign invited people to reimagine transit as a gateway to life in the region. By transforming Metro’s iconic electronic bus reader boards into… Read More
If you have any remaining funds in last year’s Health Care or Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), take the following steps to get reimbursed for expenses incurred in 2025. Check your FSA balances: Go to Navia Benefits and log in as a participant. Learn about eligible expenses incurred Jan. 1—Dec. 31, 2025: Health Care FSAs cover a variety of medically necessary expenses for you and your eligible family members, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, and other Eligible Health Care Expenses. Day Care FSAs cover a range of services for your child, disabled spouse, or dependent parent that allow… Read More
Crossposted from the Department of Local Services Newsletter King County Road Services is making roads in unincorporated King County safer by replacing old stop signs at 17 intersections with new LED signs. These signs are easier to see, especially at night or in bad weather. Construction for this project began in November 2025, and today most of the new signs are already in place. Many of these LED signs use solar power, which saves energy and lowers costs. Some signs are still being switched to solar this spring. This upgrade is part… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Daylight Saving Time officially starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2026. If you ride the bus Saturday night, including very late-night trips that operate from downtown Seattle or designated terminals up until 4:15 am, wait to set your clocks ahead one hour until after you are done riding buses for the night. All trips leaving bases on Sunday morning operate on Daylight Saving Time. Access Transportation users should contact the call center at 206-205-5000 with any questions about how the time change may affect their rides. TTY users only should call 206-749-4286. If… Read More
King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) is again receiving recognition for its environmental efforts. KCIA is the first airport in the United States to earn the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Certification, a significant milestone. “At King County, we’re committed to reducing our environmental impact, especially for the people who live and work near the airport,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “Earning this recognition reflects the dedication of King County employees who are doing the day-to-day work to protect nearby communities and build a cleaner future for the… Read More
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the King County Employee Giving Program Annual Giving Drive (AGD) Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 26. The gathering brought together enthusiastic colleagues from across the county as we recognized the outstanding Ambassador teams who championed the 2025 AGD. Nearly 150 employees attended the celebration on the 13th floor of the Chinook Building, creating a warm and energetic atmosphere. Employees across King County participated in the campaign, helping make the 2025 AGD a record-breaking success with $2.53 million raised to support nonprofits doing vital work in… Read More
Today is Employee Appreciation Day! Thank you to all King County employees for your hard work and dedication to providing top quality services to our community. King County values the contributions of each and every employee. We appreciate you and celebrate you on this special day! Employee Appreciate Day is celebrated the first Friday of March each year.
King County Executive Zahilay recently named his new Chief Operating Officer, Hyeok Kim, and highlighted her achievements on LinkedIn, saying: I’m excited to welcome an exceptional addition to our King County Executive Office as we continue to build out the strong collaborative team that is working hard to deliver meaningful results to all King County residents. Hyeok Kim will serve as our Chief Operating Officer. She will play a vital role on my senior leadership team and is responsible for directing and supporting day-to-day operations across all King County Cabinet agencies. She… Read More
On Wednesday, March 4, Executive Zahilay shared the following message: This morning, I hosted a press conference to announce several actions our administration is taking to strengthen county government, prepare for the challenging budget forecasts that lie ahead, continue improving how we manage public funds, and identify savings opportunities. Today also marks my first 100 days in office since our inauguration on November 25. I say our inauguration because this is a team sport. Our shared success as King County government is dependent upon one another. One thing I know for certain is that King County’s… Read More
As a King County employee, you have access to a catalogue of more than 2,000 online learning courses related to personal and professional development, computer and technical skills, and dozens of other topics designed to help you reach your personal and professional goals. NEOGOV Learn (employee access only) gives you access to thousands of courses, allows you to customize and track your learning, lets you access assigned courses, and provides credit for attending King County classes, workshops, and webinars. You can access NEOGOV Learn in three ways: Login through single sign-on (SSO). Open the NEOGOV… Read More
Crossposted from King County Local If you’ve driven through Fall City recently, you may have noticed construction activity behind some local businesses. It’s part of a major infrastructure upgrade: the long-awaited on-site community septic system for the Fall City business district. Since our November update, crews have installed and connected more than half of the septic tanks (40) to the underground treatment plant. The project remains on schedule for completion in Summer 2026, a milestone that will support existing businesses and allow them to fully use their buildings to serve the community. Read more.
Crossposted from King County Local King County has completed a major update of its regulations for developing land near wetlands, streams, and other critical areas. Created through three years of research, planning, and public discussion, the updated King County Critical Area Ordinance is a set of land use regulations intended to safeguard environmentally critical areas, communities, and infrastructure. The King County Council adopted the final ordinance in December. The term “critical area” refers to land that merits special protection because of its ecological value or importance to public health or safety. Examples include wetlands,… Read More