Triplett proposes King County budget that would cut 367 jobs, close 40 parks

King County Executive Kurt Triplett proposed a 2010 budget today that would eliminate 367 jobs, all general-fund support for human services and would close nearly 40 county parks.

Layoff notices went out to 145 employees today. The rest of the proposed job cuts would come from openings that have been left left unfilled as part of a county hiring freeze early this year, according to the proposal.

The proposed cuts include reducing several Executive offices by 12 percent and Council offices by 10 percent. The proposal also assumes $6.5 million in savings in labor costs or shutting down county operations through furlough days, although a final agreement with county unions hasn't been reached, Triplett said.

The Metropolitan King County Council will hold five public hearings on the budget and is scheduled to adopt the 2010 budget on Nov. 23.

This may be the year of reckoning for the county after years of relying on reserves and the construction boom to plug a growing gap between revenues and spending. Expenses have grown at about 6 percent annually, but revenue has grown by only about 2 percent.

Ever since voters approved Initiative 747 in 2001, counties and cities have been warning of a tipping point. The tax-cutting initiative capped the growth in the property taxes levied by local government to 1 percent per year. About two years ago, the state Supreme Court overturned the initiative, saying voters didn't fully understand it, but the Legislature quickly passed a law and made the 1 percent cap permanent.

The cap, when combined with decimated tax revenue from retail sales and real-estate transactions, has put a chokehold on counties and left them with little choice but to continue cutting services and even dismantling programs.

There are few easy targets. Triplett last week announced his intent to shut down the county's troubled shelter and animal-control services by June 30, 2010, and let other organizations offer those services, but the annual savings, $1.5 million, is decimal dust in King County's $4.8 billion budget for this year.

That 2009 budget consists of a $627.5 million general fund — an all-purpose pot of money, three-quarters of which supports the criminal-justice system and public safety — and several dedicated funds for transit, wastewater treatment, flood control and other public utilities.

With his proposed 2010 budget, the general fund would be $621 million, 13 percent of the overall budget.

Triplett is trying to find ways to close a $56 million shortfall in the general fund. He also has to deal with deficits in other funds: The road-services division estimates a $19.6 million deficit. The public-health fund estimates a $9.9 million deficit, plus the loss of $2.2 million in general-fund support. The emergency-medical-services fund projects a $7.6 million deficit.

The list goes on.

"Within two years King County will no longer be able to meet its mandates to keep King County residents healthy and safe," states a report from King County budget staff earlier this month.

The county cuts couldn't be coming at a worse time, say advocates for the poor.

"People who never used a food bank in their lives are standing in food-bank lines," said Solid Ground's Cobbs. "These are people who have no idea how the system works. There's a lot more education that's having to happen. Agencies are kind of strapped at this point. It's not a good time."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com