King County's sales-tax hike justified by public-safety needs

FLANKED by top public-safety leaders, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced he would seek an increase in the sales tax of two-tenths of a cent per dollar to pay for basic services — police, courts and public health.

Voters have heard this sort of plea before from the county. Any government seeking more money from a recession-wracked public must recognize the drag a tax increase places on a struggling economy. The only way to justify such a boost is to become an entity that cuts to the bone and really changes the way it does business.

The county is doing that, which is why it is reasonable to ask voters in August to pay $56 more a year per household for critical services.

Constantine wisely is not seeking to restore more than $150 million in cuts made during the past two years. He is trying to prevent draconian cuts in 2011 that would decimate police investigations for property crimes and drug investigations. Domestic-violence and sexual-assault services would be sharply curtailed.

One worrisome cut would be roughly 82 sheriff positions and 36 prosecutors. Seventy commissioned officers serve areas that either do not have many public-safety choices or have significant crime problems. Public safety is a top priority for our region and its continued erosion would reduce quality of life.

This editorial page is very wary of tax increases in a recession, but our communities need police officers responding to all crimes. Storefront deputies, which would be cut, make valuable contacts with neighborhoods. We should not destroy family-court services for those who need help in divorce, child-support or custody cases. We need probation services for misdemeanants.

Constantine said during the fall campaign he did not want to raise taxes in a recession. Neither do we. But critical steps have been taken that soften that stance.

The executive followed through on a promise to create a new Office of Labor Relations, which means the executive will be actively overseeing upcoming negotiations with county employees. Labor costs must come down and that cannot be just a public-relations line.

Constantine continued a hiring freeze, meaning 164 positions will remain unfilled. Everyone must do more with less. He dramatically curtailed out-of-state travel unless approved by the executive's office.

Negotiations begin later this year to lower long-term health costs for county employees — for example, persuading employees to pay toward health premiums. Already, employees are being given incentives to switch from county coverage to less-costly Group Health coverage.

A big question, and this is crucial, is if Constantine really will fight for greater employee contributions to health costs.

Constantine has reduced executive office staff and salaries. In the county building-permit office, 15 employees will be laid off in May. The hourly amount charged to property owners and businesses will be held at current levels.

The philosophy moves from how many hours can the county charge a customer to how quickly a business can be permitted. The county will do more with less by not taking as long to do it.

If voters go along, Constantine and County Council members backing the tax increase should urge state lawmakers to refuse a long list of interests seeking to grab an existing half-cent sales tax paying for Safeco Field, a tax expected to expire in 2012. That tax at bars and restaurants, combined with the latest request, would become 10.2 cents on a $1 purchase, which is too high.

All supporters of the county's proposed two-tenths-of-a-cent tax should vociferously ask the Legislature to let the stadium tax go away — as promised.

Slowly, but surely, the county is gaining credibility. The request for a sales-tax increase remains a troubling request at a difficult time. But after a careful balancing of interests, the additional money would pay for valued public safety and health services that must remain a countywide priority.