King County Executive Dow Constantine delivered his 2023 State of the County address to the King County Council Tuesday that highlighted progress in the last year and continued work ahead, including the need for action in the state Legislature to avoid budget cuts this fall.

In his address, Executive Constantine launched the Civic Campus initiative, a proposal to reimagine the courthouse neighborhood, and with Sound Transit considering the shuttered Administration Building as the site for a new Link Light Rail station, Executive Constantine urged making the most of the opportunity if selected. He also urged the legislature to remove the 1% cap on the county’s primary funding source, and build statewide solutions to behavioral health.

“This historic area can remain a center of local government, but it can also be so much more: a neighborhood with residents of all incomes, with shops and restaurants and gathering spaces, a place that enlivens and supports the surrounding neighborhoods,” Executive Constantine said. “Public and private workplaces that reflect the way people work in this new era. It’s clear that we’re not simply going back to how things were — so let’s use this moment to go forward.”

You can learn more in the press release and full transcript, and the video of his remarks.