Dear fellow King County employee,

For more than a century, our nation has dedicated November 11 as the day to recognize the brave members of our country’s armed forces, past and present. They placed their own lives at risk to defend freedom here at home and around the world. Veterans Day is our opportunity to honor and thank them for their service.

King County is home to some 115,000 veterans of all ages. Almost 1,200 of our King County colleagues are veterans, working alongside us in every department and every branch of our government. So far this year, 94 of our colleagues have recorded military service hours with the reserves, national guard, or active duty, continuing their service to our nation. Thank you all.

Our goal is to ensure that every returning veteran has the support they need to achieve a safe, healthy, and productive life when they come home. The programs and services that King County offers are one way we do that. In August, King County voters approved for the fourth time the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) with the highest approval rating in the levy’s history.

The VSHSL supports veterans, servicemembers, and their families, and funds the King County Veterans Program. It sustains and expands innovative partnerships and programming, comprehensive case management, and behavioral health counseling for veterans and their families and caregivers. This includes the operation of the two King County Veterans Program sites at Northgate and Tukwila and provides in mental health counseling to veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

We demonstrate our support for local veterans not just through words but through our actions. It’s one way we honor their service: giving back to those who have given so much.

Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11. Please join me in thanking our veterans and active duty personnel for their courage, commitment, and ongoing contributions to our country and to our community.

Sincerely,

Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive