Private campaign to pay for human services urged

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter

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A blue-ribbon panel, warning that the rising cost of criminal justice threatens to overwhelm King County government, is urging a massive private campaign to pay for human services aimed at reducing crime.

The Commission on Governance, appointed a year ago by the Metropolitan King County Council, unanimously approved a report yesterday that emphasizes reining in spending on courts and jails.

In contrast to some popular proposals for reducing government spending, the 11-member panel's report said downsizing the County Council or changing the form of government won't solve the county's most pressing problem, its deepening financial crisis.

Instead, the commission proposed a privately funded "Forward Thrust for Human Development" that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars over 10 years.

The effort would focus on services likely to reduce juvenile and adult crime.

The panel also recommended the sheriff become an appointed position once again and that the merits of having a nonelected executive be studied.

Cost of law, justice services

Criminal justice accounts for more than 70 percent of the general fund. At the current rate of spending growth, the commission said, police, courts, jails, prosecutors and defense attorneys "threaten to consume all general fund revenues by the year 2009."

"It is unacceptable for the county's 'growth industry' to be law and justice services," the report said.
 
Finishing touches are being put on the report, which is due to be delivered to the County Council by the end of the month.

The "Forward Thrust" proposal was named after a series of bond issues in the late 1960s that built parks and pools, arterial highways, the Seattle Aquarium and the Kingdome. But this one would be paid for with private dollars and carried out by nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

The commission proposed cutting criminal-justice costs by jailing fewer nonviolent criminal suspects and consolidating the administrations of the Superior and District Court systems. Another recommendation is to allow a judge to handle misdemeanor warrants from multiple jurisdictions rather than holding and transporting a suspect to several courts.

"We want to be a national leader in keeping people out of jail," said Dave Gering, executive director of the Manufacturing Industrial Council of Seattle and co-chairman of the governance commission.

"The main point that we've tried to make is that the status quo is unsustainable," said co-chairman Steve Goldblatt, associate dean of the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning. "Drastic steps need to be taken. And they're not pleasant choices. That's why we're reaching out to the private sector."

Council size left alone

Commission members wavered in recent weeks on whether to support efforts to reduce the size of the 13-member County Council. In the end, they decided it was more important to look for savings in county government and to complete the Growth Management Act's mandate of moving urban-area residents out of county control and into cities.

Voters will decide in November whether to trim the council to nine members.

The panel did not advocate any new taxes, and a majority of members rejected proposals for a utility tax in unincorporated areas.

The commission also recommended:

• Central services be combined and consultants evaluate efforts to make the government more efficient.

• Better representation for unincorporated areas, perhaps through creation of "a modern form of township," as suggested by the Municipal League of King County.

• Urban unincorporated areas become parts of cities and a regional plan be created for paying for roads and other regional needs. If that doesn't happen by the end of 2005, the Legislature should step in with a solution.

• The County Council remain at its present size until urban areas join cities.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com

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