On its face, Metropolitan King County Councilwoman Carolyn Edmonds' motion was simply a request to study what kinds of help armed-forces veterans need.

But Edmonds put the motion on hold yesterday after she was accused of playing politics and undermining cooperation between the county and its suburban-city neighbors.

Edmonds, a Shoreline Democrat, took members of the Regional Policy Committee by surprise with her proposal to study social-service needs in support of "the brave men and women returning home from military service."

She is a member of the committee, which since October has been studying veterans' needs and is expected to propose a modest increase in an existing property tax earmarked for veterans programs.

King County levies a property tax of $3.12 on the county's median $355,000 home to provide services such as emergency food and rent, job training and counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans. The Regional Policy Committee hasn't decided on the size of the tax increase it will propose.

Several committee members said they were concerned Edmonds' proposal, co-sponsored by County Council Chairman Larry Phillips, would delay a vote on the emerging plan for a tax increase by studying the matter until it was too late to put it on the ballot in September or November.

Some members also said it also appeared Edmonds was using the veterans issue to gain an advantage over a political opponent.

County Councilman Bob Ferguson of Seattle, who chairs the Regional Policy Committee and who is running against fellow Democrat Edmonds for re-election to the County Council, has been working with the regional committee on a tax increase to boost services for veterans.

Ferguson and Edmonds were thrown into competition when council districts were enlarged to carry out a voter-mandated downsizing of the County Council from 13 members to nine.

Sonny Putter, a Newcastle city councilman and Regional Policy Committee (RPC) member, told the County Council he believes "a majority of our elected-official peers throughout the county" want to put a tax increase before voters in September or November.

The RPC, made up of elected officials from King County, Seattle and suburban cities, is a forum on regional issues such as public health, human services, garbage and criminal justice.

Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, an RPC member, wrote to the County Council he was "very troubled" that the council was considering Edmonds' proposal.

"In particular," Lewis wrote, "I am concerned that the Council, and some individual members in particular, are attempting to take credit for an issue that the RPC has spent considerable time researching and discussing over the past six months."

Another RPC member, Enumclaw Mayor John Wise, warned that some cities might pull out of the committee if Edmonds succeeded in "circumventing" it.

County Councilwoman and RPC member Kathy Lambert, R-Woodinville, said a vote on a veterans' relief tax increase shouldn't be delayed. "I think we have the votes, and we're ready to dance," she said.

Edmonds agreed to RPC members' request that she not seek a vote on her proposal before the regional committee makes its recommendations.

"I want to assure my colleagues in the suburban cities that the intent of this motion was never to circumvent the work of the RPC," she said. Her proposal, she said, would complement the regional committee's work: "It would provide more information so we could have a stronger program."

Edmonds said later she also hadn't meant to play politics with the issue of veterans' assistance. "That was not my intention, certainly. It was just unfortunate timing," she said.

Ferguson said of Edmonds' motion, "It's transparent what's going on. ... It's the kind of thing that makes constituents frustrated with their elected officials."

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