Ross Hunter and Fred Jarrett endorsed for King County executive

THE sky is falling on King County government. The budget is unsustainable. The task of delivering services grows more challenging by the day.

For the first time since the current county government was created, no incumbent is seeking re-election as executive, creating enormous opportunity for change. Of several quality candidates seeking the job, two stand out ahead of the others, state Rep. Ross Hunter and state Sen. Fred Jarrett. Both are endorsed with equal enthusiasm.

Hunter and Jarrett have much in common. Both served admirably in the Legislature. Though the executive race is officially nonpartisan, both are well-known moderate Democrats from Eastside communities — Jarrett from Mercer Island, where he served as mayor, Hunter from Medina.

King County has had just one executive from the Eastside, who served briefly as interim exec in the early 1980s. It isn't so important where an executive hails from except it is a good idea to occasionally mix it up to offer different perspectives.

Both Jarrett and Hunter are smart and offer detailed analysis of what is wrong with the county and specifically what can be done to fix it. Both provided creative ideas, even a few fresh approaches to the campaign.

Jarrett, for example, goaded some fellow candidates to post answers to questionnaires from various interest groups on their Web sites. Yes, it was gimmick, but it also gives voters grappling with a relatively new August primary more information presented in a digestible manner.

Hunter and Jarrett both have worked in the public and private sector, Jarrett as project manager at Boeing, Hunter as manager at Microsoft. Valuable experience from both arenas will boost the county's recovery.

Jarrett and Hunter share something else: low ratings in the polls. Voters therefore are asked to rethink the race and give both candidates another look.

Yes, voters know Susan Hutchison's name better from her many years as a news anchor on KIRO-TV, but name familiarity is no substitute for the skills needed to run a troubled government. Citizens know less about her views on complicated issues because she worked diligently during the campaign to minimize what voters learned about her.

County Council members Dow Constantine and Larry Phillips are both qualified, experienced county leaders. Voters admire Phillips' record on the environment and Sound Transit. They know Constantine as a fierce advocate for his West Seattle, Burien and Vashon Island district.

But the inescapable fact is, both have led budget proceedings and chaired the council. The nagging question: Did they do enough to help the county when they held the reins?

Voters are hiring the CEO of a $4.9 billion operation, as Hunter likes to say. The next leader must have the guts and experience to move the county beyond its structural and self-inflicted budget woes. Hunter and Jarrett would be tougher renegotiating health-care benefits with public-employee unions.

If past performance is a good indicator of future conduct, and it often is, Hunter and Jarrett are proven leaders, Jarrett on transportation and higher education, Hunter on state finances and K-12 education.

Hunter played a key role on important gun-control legislation this year, limiting the ability of people involuntarily committed to a mental institution to own guns. He is not afraid of tackling sometimes intractable issues.

Almost every year, public-safety programs go on the chopping block in the county. Public safety has to be a priority because worries about community civility and safety are no longer confined to urban Seattle.

Keeping neighborhoods safe is a paramount goal for our region, along with the need to manage growth and density and retain the county's famed livability

Jarrett and Hunter are thoughtful and prepared — ready to make difficult changes in areas where the budget is imploding. Vote confidently for Jarrett or Hunter for county executive.