Crossposted from KC Elections You may have noticed our new look that not only includes this new blog (welcome!) but also our social media profiles and the Primary Election ballot you’ll receive in July. Why the change? From Elections Director Julie Wise, “When I took office this January, one of my goals was to re-brand King County Elections so that we are better able to connect with our widely diverse population of voters. I wanted a simple, fresh look that would resonate with all of our communities, regardless of what age they… Read More

Just in time for summer, several parks around King County are freshening up their facilities, playgrounds and sports areas. One park involved in this play area rehabilitation is Five Mile Lake Park out near Federal Way and Auburn, in an unincorporated part of the County. “You think of a traditional playground, but there’s nothing traditional about this one,” said Doug Miller, a Park Specialist in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) who has been with King County since 1989. “I don’t think the majority of people know what it means… Read More

Crossposted from KC Emergency News Our region is vulnerable to earthquakes. A major threat lies just off the Pacific Coast, in an area known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This fault, when it ruptures, could cause a catastrophic magnitude 9.0 earthquake. A quake of that size would also cause a massive tsunami that would inundate the coast. This week, King County Emergency Management will join with federal, state, and local partners to test earthquake response and recovery plans in the Cascadia Rising exercise. More than 20,000 first responders, emergency management professionals, military… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters More than a year after the launch of the ORCA LIFT reduced fare program, customers tell us they love their card. Now we have the data to support that feedback. We’ve just wrapped up our first survey of more than 400 ORCA LIFT customers, and the results show a 95 percent satisfaction rate. In fact, more than half of those participating in the program are first time ORCA users; 44 percent say they are taking more trips on Metro and Sound Transit Link Light Rail since receiving their… Read More

Crossposted from Lean in King County On Friday, Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett briefed Snohomish County leaders on our successful (and ongoing!) efforts to improve customer service and find greater efficiency in county government. Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers invited Fred to speak with his staff to share the King County story and Lean lessons learned, as Snohomish County moves forward with their STEP Initiative (Service, Technology, Excellence Program). “We appreciate the opportunity to learn from King County’s experience. Fred has been fighting hard to bring better customer service and effective… Read More

Sex trafficking in King County is on the rise, nearly doubling in 2015 according to an Urban Institute study. But King County is fighting to stop sex traffickers and buyers in the county and protect the victims of trafficking. The growing problem came to law enforcement attention when officers on patrol began noticing a growing number of young girls working on the streets. Before long, officers were collecting evidence and bringing it to King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Val Richey. “People have this notion that sex trafficking doesn’t happen in the… Read More

Serving as a voice for members of marginalized communities is all in a day’s work for Misdemeanor Practice Director Twyla Carter. Since she began serving as a lawyer in 2007, she has acted as an advocate for her clients, and after recently moving to her current role will be overseeing misdemeanor practice across the four divisions ensuring quality public defense in courts of limited jurisdiction, which includes Seattle Municipal Court and King County District Courts in Redmond, Seattle and Kent. “I view my new role as being at thirty thousand feet and… Read More