King County Executive Dow Constantine joined close to 1,000 volunteers in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 26, for the 2018 Count Us In to better understand how many people in our community are experiencing homelessness and how we can better serve their needs. Watch him speak about the importance of the 2018 Count Us In event and how we can combat homelessness within King County in the video below.

  Let’s get growing: One million trees by 2020 As someone who has lived her whole life in the Evergreen State, I have always had a strong affinity for the trees that define our landscape and so much of our lives. As a kid I remember being amazed that you could determine the age of a tree by counting its rings. As a college student learning about our Native American history and the first settlers, I was struck by photographs of enormous Douglas firs that grew right up to the edge of… Read More

King County Executive Constantine released the following statement on the passing of Gov. Spellman, who served as King County Executive from 1969 to 1981.  Executive Spellman ushered in the modern era in King County. In his twelve years as our first Executive, John Spellman led the transformation of King County into a strong regional government. He drove the construction of the Kingdome that brought us the Mariners and Seahawks. Gov. Spellman was an effective public servant who throughout his career led with honor and grace.  I invited him to attend my State… Read More

King County Executive Dow Constantine delivers the keynote address during King County’s 2018 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at The Sanctuary in downtown Seattle. Click here to read a full transcript of the Executive’s prepared remarks.   View the entire King County 2018 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration below.

The Monday morning train derailment near DuPont resulted in the tragic loss of life and multiple injuries and hospitalizations. King County Executive Dow Constantine issued the following statement on the accident: “The devastating Amtrak derailment this morning has caused pain and concern throughout our region. Most of the daily passengers on that line are commuters who live or work in King County. To the friends and families of those who perished, know that we mourn with you. I thank the first responders for their heroic actions to save lives in a perilous situation. We stand… Read More

A new initiative launched a year ago by Executive Dow Constantine has prevented more than 3,000 people in King County from becoming homelessness.  Results from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30 – the latest data available – show that 96 percent of the 1,024 client households still had a place to live, which prevented the need for additional shelter beds. It also decreased the number of children who suffer the trauma that homelessness can cause, which can affect brain development.  Read more in the official press release.

King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus today announced the formation of One Table, a comprehensive effort made up of business, service providers, healthcare, faith community, philanthropy, labor, academia, community members and people who have experienced homelessness.  The group will assess the region’s current response to homelessness, including root causes such as escalating home prices, inequality and the need to expand mental health and addiction services. It will also work to scale up community-based and government programs that are successful.  “We all know homelessness is a… Read More

Citing the threat to native salmon populations, King County Executive Dow Constantine has called for a six-month moratorium on allowing any new Atlantic fish farming facilities along marine shoreline in unincorporated King County. “The hundreds of thousands of farmed, invasive Atlantic salmon that spilled into the Salish Sea in August threaten our native fish populations and our way of life,” said Executive Constantine. “Atlantic salmon don’t belong here. Beyond a six month moratorium, we need to ensure these operations can never again pose a threat to indigenous salmon already struggling to survive.”… Read More