Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
Crossposted from the DES Express
For the first time, Emergency Management held a drill called a Joint Information Center/Joint Information System exercise involving other local governments and non-profit organizations in addition to the usual King County agencies. A total of 33 people participated, with 13 of those in person and 20 online. They hailed from as far south as Clark County and as far north as Vancouver, Canada. Another eight people were involved in exercise coordination.
“This exercise was a great opportunity to have our partners test the communications plans and procedures for the upcoming World Cup in the Seattle area next year,” said Sheri Badger, Public Information Officer for Emergency Management. “We want to seamlessly share information between jurisdictions and with the public to keep our visitors and communities notified of potential issues that may come up during the tournament.” Read more.
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King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
King County is proud to have been honored with the 2025 Exemplary Systems in Geospatial (ESIG) Award in the Single Process Systems category by the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN, formerly URISA). This recognition honors our innovative AI-GIS Strengthened State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Response Letter Generator, a novel system that integrates geographic information systems (GIS) with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to advance health equity across King County. Read more.
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Executive Braddock on adoption of $20 billion budget for 2026-27 – A reflection of our community’s priorities
King County Executive Shannon Braddock issued the following statement after the King County Council passed a $20 billion biennial budget that adopts major components of her 200-Day Plan and reflects key investments in public safety, housing and homelessness, and behavioral health while preparing for future federal funding uncertainties.
“This budget reflects King County’s values, which means delivering a balanced plan that protects essential services, increases efficiency, and reinvests in programs that most benefit our residents.
I would like to thank the King County Council for their hard work in passing the budget, with special thanks to Budget Chair Rod Dembowski for his leadership. This year was especially challenging, as the county faced the largest General Fund budget deficit in our history. I’m proud that we were able to protect core services while also establishing contingency funding. However, we know that rising costs for government services and continued uncertainty at the federal level, particularly regarding homelessness funding and cuts to safety-net programs targeting our most vulnerable populations, will create financial challenges in the future.” Read more.
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One day left to pledge: Annual Giving Drive
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this year’s Annual Giving Drive so far! As a reminder, the Employee Giving Program made a one-time extension to this year’s Annual Giving Drive (AGD), to Friday, Nov. 21., 2025.
If you are donating eligible Vacation or Compensatory time, tomorrow Nov. 21, 2025 is a firm deadline and one of the benefits of PeopleSoft is that it can be done from home. Every year, hundreds of hours of time must be turned away because they come in after the deadline and were not able to be processed. Click here to learn more about giving time.
Don’t forget to renew your payroll pledge as well. While renewing is easy, it is not automatic.
The best way to ensure that your pledge reaches us in time is to do one of the following:
- Go online in PeopleSoft and complete; or
- Fill out a paper form and then scan and email to employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.
If you need assistance, we’re here to help. Visit the new Employee Giving Program intranet site, call 206-263-9372, or email employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.
Find a nonprofit. Renew now. Donate now.
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Special discount for Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO
King County employees can now take advantage of discounted tickets for ECHO, performing at King County’s Marymoor Park Jan. 30 to March 22.
Use this link to save up to 40% on select seats and dates. For groups of 10+, enjoy up to 40% off plus reduced handling fees. For questions or more information, contact Sarah.Hudson@cirquedusoleil.com.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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Executive Braddock announces upgrades to Metro’s Access paratransit service, improving freedom and flexibility for riders with disabilities living in rural communities
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Recently, King County Executive Shannon Braddock and Metro announced an improved customer experience for Access paratransit service customers and seniors, especially in rural communities, delivering on one of the key priorities in the Executive’s 200-Day Plan. People with disabilities who live in rural communities and use Access will have an easier time making reservations and enjoy improved on-time arrivals. There are also pilot programs that range from grocery delivery to same-day reservations. These services – alongside new in-person support for Access paratransit, Community Van, and Hopelink – will offer more flexibility and independence.
Additionally, community transportation coordinators and navigators will deliver in-person support to help all customers with mobility challenges access the full range of Metro services. Read more.
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As surging utility costs make housing less affordable throughout King County, Executive Braddock brings together partners to develop a more sustainable future
With household costs for utilities projected to rapidly increase each year for the next decade – making housing even less affordable than it is today – King County Executive Shannon Braddock and Sound Cities Association on Friday brought together more than 150 elected officials, regulators, and public works managers from throughout King County to develop a path that both protects the natural environment and reduces the burden on homeowners.
A typical single-family household in King County currently pays an estimated $400 per month for utilities, including natural gas, electricity, solid waste, stormwater, sewer, and water. The combined monthly costs will likely continue to escalate over the next decade due to inflation in the construction industry, new environmental regulations, and the need to maintain and expand aging infrastructure to serve a growing population. Read more.
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Monitoring in Action: PHSKC responds to unpermitted food vending with an equity and data-driven perspective
Ava Michler, with the Performance and Strategy (PSB) team, spoke with Eyob Mazengia about how Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) responds to unpermitted food vending. The Food Safety team decreases barriers to receiving permits and uses data visualization to inform their operations.
As we see an increase of unpermitted food vending throughout the county, the Food Safety team’s work has been critical for protecting the health of county residents and upholding food safety standards. A key part of their approach is supporting vendor entrepreneurial goals, by providing guidance and resources to pursue a permit. Food Safety also gives meaning to their data and identifies trends using an innovative Power BI dashboard. Read the full story here.
Employees can take a moment to check out this story, and explore others in the PSB Monitoring in Action section to see how King County programs are turning data into impact. For more information about the portal, or to send your blog post idea, contact Sara Hospador at Sara.Hospador@kingcounty.gov.
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Employee notice about the KC Employee ID/ORCA pass
King County employees can now note that their ORCA pass will automatically renew at the start of the new year and disregard the expiration alert when tapping for use on transit.
For questions or concerns, please reach out to the Employee Transportation Program coordinator at ETP@kingcounty.gov.
For more information, visit the Employee Transportation Program SharePoint employee website.
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Support Hurricane Melissa relief through the Annual Giving Drive
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, a devastating Category 5 storm that struck Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean, thousands of families are facing unimaginable loss. Homes, hospitals, and infrastructure have been destroyed. Many communities still remain without power, clean water, or access to basic necessities. Through the Annual Giving Drive, we have an opportunity to come together and support the nonprofits working tirelessly on the ground to provide emergency aid and long-term recovery.
Here are the Employee Giving Program (EGP) nonprofits that are responding to Hurricane Melissa relief efforts. Read more.
To see the full list and discover more, search online or review the 2025 Giving Guide of nonprofits by service category.
Start or renew your pledge through Employee Giving on PeopleSoft by Nov. 21. If you are renewing your pledge, remember to click “Continue” then “Confirm” in order to complete the process.
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