Discussing Mental Health with King County Executive Candidates

Please listen to the video for accuracy and completeness. The last half is most telling.  

The major theme was managing (Balducci) and coordinating (Zahilay) resources to achieve a continuum of care.  Implementation of voter-approved behavioral health resources is terribly slow (Balducci.) Zahilay listed his coalitions that will disrupt the cycle of addiction and improve behavioral health care.  Balducci insisted the revolving door should have only one entrance.  She stressed wider use of medical records towards this end.

Financial pressure:  Balducci has working experience with state officials on both sides of the aisle.  Prioritization and accountability of spending is needed for this and other levies.  Zahilay co-sponsored the new stabilization .1% sales tax -- 10 cents on a $100 purchase!)  This tax funds 1) fewer sheriff layoffs 2) gun and domestic violence advocacies, 3) courts / victim support, 4) behavioral health treatment.  Balducci said needs evolve and these funds need re-prioritization; accountability, with proactive audits and quarterly reports.     

Youth struggles:  Balducci says she has two children and witnessed first-hand the emotional and health pressures on students during the pandemic. She supports providers (LWSD  councilors, Y.E.S. EvergreenHealth councilors, NAMI.)  Zahilay organized a stakeholder youth group to focus on solutions.  

Full Disclosure:  I lean towards Balducci because I know her better. I just like her.  I've chatted with her at Redmond City Hall meetings and a Hero House gala, I see her riding a bicycle everywhere; not just for transit awareness but demonstrating that exercise is awesome for mental health. She's the county's representative for EvergreenHealth community hospital, She participates with the community in social media, including my blog.  😊

- Bob Yoder, 10/12/2025

  Sources:  Seattle Times & Seattle/King County League of Women Voters forum, 10/9/25

King County Launches New "Stop Hate Hotline"

 

Seattle/ Internet

Summary King County announced today the launch of the Stop Hate Hotline. The hotline is operated by the non-profit Crisis Connections. It is now live and can be used to provide an immediate confidential reporting system for victims of hate crimes and bias incidents, while connecting them to vital community resources and support services. Story Today, King County Executive Shannon Braddock, in partnership with King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn and non-profit Crisis Connections, announced the launch of the new Stop Hate Hotline, marking a significant milestone in the county's efforts to combat hate crimes and support affected communities. The hotline can be reached at 833-786-7481 or 833-STOP-H81. "The launch of the Stop Hate Hotline represents King County's unwavering commitment to creating a community where every resident feels safe, valued, and protected from hate and bias. This hotline provides crime victims and survivors support, resources, and assistance in reporting the crime to law enforcement if they choose," said Executive Braddock. "We recognize that hate crimes don't just harm individual victims; they stoke fear in whole communities. By partnering with Crisis Connections, we're ensuring that when someone reaches out in need, they'll find compassionate, trauma-informed care that honors their experience and focuses on their healing."

King County Launches 10 Additional Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Teams

This week King County launched new mobile crisis teams to help people experiencing a mental health, drug or alcohol crisis.

Teams travel across the county to de-escalate behavioral health crises and connect people to support services. King County added 10 teams for a total of 27 teams operated by the Downtown Emergency Service Center and Sound Behavioral Health.

“We’re building a robust crisis system where everyone has access to the care they need, when and where they need it — reducing hospital and jail visits,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “By expanding the number of mobile response teams, we're on track to ensure people in crisis can get 24/7 help from a specialized behavioral health team.”

Anyone can text or call 988 for help and support.

Seattle Times article, 12/5/24  (1 minute read) 

Posted by Yoder, 12/5/24

King County property taxes fund this service.

King County Assessor Mailing Property Value Notices

King County Assessor John Wilson

Residential Values Rise, While Values of Large Office Buildings Fall in a Mixed Real Estate Market

The King County Assessor’s office has begun the annual process of mailing property valuation notices to taxpayers. Notices will be arriving soon.  Preliminary indications show most residential areas will increase a little over 10% on average. Commercial properties are more mixed depending on property type.

Data indicates that most residential market areas will see value increases this year. Those increases will range from the single digits in Seattle, to roughly 20% in some east King County areas. In 2022, some Eastside communities saw values soar 50% in year over year.

“Finally, it is always important to remember that voter approved special levies usually have more impact on property tax increases than do increases in home values,” added Wilson.

To learn more about how property values and taxes are determined, the appeal process, the senior exemption or to use the taxpayer transparency tool, please visit here.

King County Councilmember Sarah Perry, Out In Our Community

 

Out in Our Community!

^{(Left): Earlier this month, we celebrated the stunning new crosswalk created by artist Jing Jing and sponsored by Pride Across the Bridge and the City of Redmond, Washington - Government; (Right) We joined the Indian American Community Services and their Senior Lunch program at the Beaver Lake Lodge in Sammamish!}

County Funds Behavioral Health Crisis Center For Five North King County Cities

King County Executive Dow Constantine

"King County invested $11.5 million of state and local dollars toward a crisis center located in Kirkland.  It will service five North King County cities.  It's the start of what we can achieve together when it comes to community behavioral health." -- King County Executive Dow Constantine.

 PHOENIX, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Connections Health Solutions, the leading innovator of immediate access behavioral health crisis care, is proud to announce it has secured a location in the 405 Kirkland Corporate Center in Kirkland, WA, for the county's first person-focused, multi-service behavioral health crisis response center.  Within a safe, dedicated space for high-quality care, the center will provide a spectrum of care services, from walk-in behavioral health urgent care to continued stabilization, to individuals experiencing all types of behavioral health or substance use crises.

UPDATED: County Council Votes "Yes" On $1.25B Behavioral Health Levy

The King County Council voted Tuesday to send a $1.25 billion behavioral health levy to voters for consideration on an April special election ballot.

The proposal, which would raise the funds through a property tax levy spread over nine years, would fund:

1.  creation of five regional crisis care centers,
2.  the preservation and restoration of residential treatment beds,
3. growth of the behavioral health workforce pipeline, and 
4. provide immediate services while centers are being constructed. 

In 2024, the levy will cost the owner of a median-valued home about $121.

With council approval, the proposal will now appear on the April 25 special election ballot

KOMO News:  Broadcast of King County Executive Dow Constantine's' Announcement. 

ELECTION SPECIAL - The Painful Facts of 2022 Taxes

 

King County Tax Assessor John Wilson

City of Redmond, Proposition No. 1

Police and Fire Safety Levy

Body Worn Cameras

City of Redmond, Vote "Yes" on Proposition 1

King County Proposition No. 1

Conservation Futures

King County Property Taxes -- The Painful Facts

Statements and Opinion by Bob Yoder

10/29/2022

King County Councilmember Perry Visits EvergreenHealth , Wants "Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinics"

 

King County Eastside Councilmember Sarah Perry

Hi Bob, Thank you so much for reaching out to Councilmember Perry’s office to share this information and feedback. Councilmember Perry has been actively engaged in the behavioral health conversations happening at the County in conjunction with the budget conversations beginning now. While I don’t have more details to share at this time, I know that having a 23 hour behavioral health facility in the district is a top priority for Councilmember Perry. Additionally, we are currently in the process of scheduling a visit to Providence in Everett to see their behavioral health facility with State and County legislators, DCHS and other stakeholders to help inform these ongoing conversations, especially as the Executive gets ready to transmit his budget proposal to the Council later this Fall. We are also in the process of setting up a meeting with each of the hospitals in our district and surrounding areas, including Overlake, EvergreenHealth, and others, to make sure we are including them in this ongoing conversation. I will be sure to pass this along to Councilmember Perry as she prepares to have these conversations with the health facilities. In the meantime, we really appreciate you passing this feedback along. Please let us know if you have anything else you would like to share with us as the Councilmember continues to work on this critical issue.

 

Sincerely,

 

Robby Paige

Legislative Aide

Councilmember Sarah Perry

King County Council, District 3

206-445-9246

Video of Providence/Everett's "Behavioral Health Urgent Care" with

psychiatrist and social worker narrating.

Posted by Bob Yoder, updated, 2/23/2023

King County Councilmember Proposes System To Uncover Covid Fraud

Dunn proposes whistleblower reporting system to uncover COVID-19 relief fraud

 

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Thursday introduced legislation that would establish a whistleblower hotline for reporting illegitimate uses of emergency COVID-19 funds, in an effort to catch any attempts to scam the system.

“As we are seeing historic increases in inflation, taxpayers are rightly concerned with how their hard-earned dollars are being spent, and elected leaders at all levels should be acting as watchdogs under that same mindset,” Dunn said. “With such a large influx of money rapidly moving through our County to provide critical aid to restaurants, small businesses, and folks on the margins during COVID-19, there almost certainly will also be a few scammers seeking to abuse the system for their own financial gain. It is my hope that with this legislation we will be able to catch bad actors and safeguard the communities that these funds were meant to support.”

King County Property Taxes Rise At 'Unprecedented' Rates; 2023Tax Hikes Likely

Property Value Data Released 5/13/2022

 "King county hasn’t yet determined next year’s 2023 property tax bills, but the hottest local housing markets are likely to see “a double-digit increase,” said King County Assessor John Wilson."

"The local market has taken off since early in the pandemic, spurred by a combination of few houses for sale, a flood of buyers taking advantage of low mortgage-interest rates, and a continuing influx of highly paid workers with stock options. That has driven up home prices across the region and worsened housing affordability. The median sale price for a single-family house in King County hit nearly $1 million last month."

-- By Heidi Grover, Seattle Times business reporter, 5/13/2022 (excerpted, edited)

King County Tax Increase Proposed To Preserve 65,000 Acres

The price of preserving 65,000 acres of natural lands, trails, farmlands, and urban green space in King County averages $22.00/year/ $700,000 assessed property. 
Photo, Seattle Times, 5/19/2022

Tax will also restore full funding of Conservation Futures
West Seattle Blog, May 19, 2022

OPINION:  King County proposed property tax increase ‘tone deaf’ against incredibly high cost of living facing families. 

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Thursday issued the following statement in response to a proposal from Executive Dow Constantine that would raise property taxes across King County:

“We cannot again raise taxes on King County residents who are already struggling to make ends meet. A new property tax in particular would raise costs for homeowners and renters alike, even as so many are more vulnerable than ever to losing their housing. Meanwhile, every King County resident is already feeling the financial pain of record-level inflation and the massive rise in gas prices — and there are many economic unknowns on the horizon including the significant risk of a recession. To add to this mounting list of financial burdens at this time is tone deaf.”

-- Press Release, May, 2022

COVID Cases Rising in King County

COVID cases are rising a tad in King County.   DEFCON YELLOW!

Pam and I were vaccinated yesterday for a second Modera booster!😇 (Read KIRO'S article.)  After the shot, I read immunity is strengthened in the first four months but then wanes by the eighth month. This was disappointing, especially after having a reaction. (mild fatigue and achiness for a day.)  Pam was fine.  I'm happy having the shot and not as concerned about masks.  

Getting vaccinated is much easier now. Our hassle-free appointment for our Modera was quicker than the first; less paperwork, shorter waits, and still time to ask questions.  

-- Bob Yoder, 4/25/2022

By Deedee Sun, KIRO 7 News

April 25, 2022 at 6:41 pm PDT

SEATTLE — COVID cases are again on the rise in King County. It’s pushed King County from the “green” to the “yellow” zone – meaning the county is back in the CDC’s medium COVID-19 community level.

King County Executive Dow Constantine Reflects On Successes Battling COVID

 

Executive Dow Constantine

Today marks the two-year anniversary of King County Executive Dow Constantine’s emergency declaration in response to the COVID outbreak in King County, the first community in the nation to face an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, shortly after the nation’s first case was discovered in Snohomish County.  Relying on trusted health leaders to chart the course forward and keep the community safe, King County has gone from the epicenter of the outbreak, to now one of the nation’s highest vaccinated communities with the some of the lowest cases and death rates two years later.

“There wasn’t a playbook when COVID hit, but King County residents worked together. Our largest employers and small businesses, friends and neighbors have followed the science and expertise of our public health leaders to achieve some of the highest vaccination rates in the nation,” said Executive Constantine. “The last two years have challenged all of us, taking a toll on our community and our day-to-day lives. Entering the next phase of our COVID response should be a moment for all of us to reflect on the loss and pain of the last two years, but also a chance to look forward to the recovery and future we’re building together.”

Since the first days of the pandemic, King County and Public Health – Seattle & King County have led the response focused on ensuring no community was left behind. From purchasing and distributing masks, to buying hotels so people would have a safe place to quarantine, here’s a look at some of the statistics behind King County’s response, and the impact the community has made together.

Case counts – among the lowest in the nation

Out of the 97 most populated regions in the country, King County ranks 90th in terms of COVID case rates, with 16,067 cases per 100,000 residents. Miami-Dade for comparison has 42,764 per 100,000. King County also ranks 90th in terms of rates of deaths from COVID in those 97 most populated regions. For counties with more than 2 million residents, King County has the lowest rate of any county for case counts and deaths from COVID.

-- King County Executive Office, March 1, 2022

King County Directs Public to Prepare Now for a Rapid Surge in Local COVID-19 Omicron Cases

The highly infectious Omicron variant is moving at an astonishing speed, according to the latest projections. We project the number of King County cases by next week to be three-times higher than the highest peak we've seen previously in the pandemic. We expect case numbers to continue to rise in January.

A similar pattern is expected to emerge in other parts of the United States.

The severity of Omicron cases is not clear at this time. Most fully vaccinated people should be protected from severe infection, but we expect to see many more serious cases in unvaccinated people, as well as many milder breakthrough infections among the vaccinated.

The rapid rise in cases has the potential to be more disruptive than previous waves, endangering the health care system's ability to care for people, as well as being a major disruptor to businesses, schools and key infrastructure, as employees become ill.

King County residents and workplaces are urged to take steps now to reduce the risk to themselves, their families, and others in order to lower the impact of the expected surge on the health care system and the community.

The latest projections are based on the rapid rate of spread of the Omicron variant in other countries, along with the latest local sequencing data.

"If we do a very simple 10-day projection of this rate of growth, we should expect 2,100 daily Omicron cases in King County on December 22, 2021. This is approximately 3 times the number of cases seen at the highest point in the pandemic for King County (December 2020)," said Trevor Bedford, computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Highlights From The City's New "Homeless Hotel" Website

 

One of my wishes is the Operator use the homeless
hotel's whirlpool for rehabilitation and therapy.  Internet

 

Did the City recruit the County to locate the Silver Cloud  facility in Redmond?

No, the City did not seek out the Silver Cloud facility in Redmond.

When did the Mayor’s Office make City Council aware of this program in Redmond?

City Council was made aware of the new legislation supporting this type of program through a variety of 2020 and 2021 legislative updates by the City’s lobbyist. **Mayor Birney called each of Redmond’s seven City Council members on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 to notify them of the County’s purchase and intended use of the Silver Cloud Inn in Redmond.

When did the City learn about the County’s desire to locate a homeless facility in Redmond?

In spring 2021, King County informed the City that they were actively exploring locations in Redmond and in late May 2021, Redmond was made aware of the County’s intent to purchase the Silver Cloud Inn. **As this was a private real estate transaction, it was kept confidential, as requested. Redmond first became aware of this potential type of program early in the 2020 legislative session. The City has continued to follow this since the State Legislature passed House Bill 1590 in 2020, which allowed jurisdictions to enact a 0.1% sales tax to finance construction of affordable housing and behavioral health facilities and operations or services supportive of affordable housing residents. In 2020, Executive Constantine proposed, and the County Council approved, this dedicated sales tax. In 2021, the State Legislature passed House Bill 1070, which clarified acquisition of property as an eligible use of these funds.

Will the City consider making it illegal to camp or sleep outside in public spaces?

The City passed ordinance 2911 in 2018 which prohibits camping and storage of personal property in parks, public spaces, and on publicly-owned property when overnight shelter space is available.

Will the City forbid use of drugs and alcohol at the Silver Cloud HTH facility?

The City will provide the same policing and uphold the same safety protocols regarding drugs and alcohol as is provided throughout the community. HTH residents will be considered tenants under Washington State landlord/tenant law and as such will have specific rights with regards to their leased space, which are consistent with the rights all tenants have throughout the city. King County will provide a code of conduct that residents must agree upon to remain housed at the facility.

Will the City be involved in choosing and monitoring an operator for the facility?

Yes. ***The City will participate in the evaluation and selection of the facility operators.

Source:  Redmond.gov/hth (City's homeless hotel website)

**  CM Forsythe and Fields griped in last night's Study session they were notified too late so couldn't participate in the decision-making.**  I'm not so sure about that.

*** CM David Carson said his energy will be put into finding a suitable operator. Thank you David.  One of my wishes is the operator use the whirlpool for rehabilitation and therapy.  

CM Varisha Kahn was not at either meeting to comment.

-- Bob Yoder 9/29/2021

"Evans Creek Relocation Project" Benefits Fish, Offers Land Use Opportunities (Part One)

 

The dotted blue line is the proposed, new channel.  The relocation increases buffer width benefiting
the fish and offers land-use development opportunities. King county lands are involved.

Project Overview

Evans Creek is a Class I stream that has been impacted by adjacent industrial development. Narrow vegetated buffers expose the stream channel to sunlight, and untreated runoff may be entering the channel. 

This project is listed in the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan.The large upstream watershed supports good wild Coho runs, provides important Chinook habitat and contains quality riparian habitat and corridor connectivity for other wildlife. The open space proposed for the new channel also contains the well-used Bear-Evans trail, and the stream project will benefit passive recreation opportunities. 

The proposed stream relocation solution involves the following:

• Reconstruct the channel to the north and east of industrial properties in open space where adequate buffers can be established.
• Reconnect the channel with floodplain wetlands and restore riparian buffer function by controlling invasive weeds and planting native riparian vegetation along the new channel.
• Install in-stream habitat structures, streambed sediment and bioengineering in the new channel to enhance hydraulics and fish habitat.
• Coordinate as needed with underlying private property owners, adjacent industrial development, and WSDOT. 
• Retain and improve the Bear Evans Trail, accommodating future expansions of the trail network to the west fostering passive recreation opportunities in the area.

-- redmond.gov

August Primary Voting Guidance

 

Hello Bob,

Thank you for your email regarding the August Primary Election.  Ballots will be mailed out on Wednesday, July 14.  If you do not receive your ballot at the xxx Ave NE address by end of mail delivery time on Tuesday, July 20, please contact us and we'll be more than happy to reissue a ballot to you as soon as possible. 

If you have any other questions, comments or requests, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you,
Julie Hayashi
Administrator II
King County Elections
206-296-VOTE (8683)

kingcounty.gov/elections

$631 Million Emergency COVID Budget Approved by King County Council

 Record $631 million emergency COVID budget approved by Council

 A seventh round of emergency funding in response to COVID-19, this time totaling more than $631 million, was approved Tuesday by the King County Council by a vote of 8-1.

The supplemental budget, funded largely by the American Rescue Plan Act, is larger than all previous King County COVID budgets combined and will provide support for a variety of services as King County looks toward recovery from the pandemic and its many collateral impacts. These investments align with the Council’s set priorities around housing stability and homelessness services, food security and access, mental and behavioral health, economic recovery, and workforce support, childcare and access to justice.

“Today we passed the largest supplemental budget in the history of King County. This is transformational — providing support for the mother struggling to provide for her child, for the renter on the edge of eviction, for the business owner getting relief from the new BIPOC economic resiliency fund, for the survivor of sexual assault or gender-based violence seeking justice, and many, many more,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who is also budget chair. “I appreciate the ambitiousness of Executive Dow Constantine’s budget, and the collaboration of my colleagues in crafting this budget. Our work is not finished but these investments will help us find our way out of this extraordinary challenge.”

The major spending areas include:

Community Supports (e.g. food security, rental assistance, etc.)	$255 million
Vaccination Efforts including mass vaccination sites	$117 million
Public Health Response to the pandemic	$114 million
Economic Recovery / Jobs	$67 million
County Operations in response to the pandemic	$41 million
Arts, Entertainment, Culture and Science	$36 million

King County Vice Chair Votes "No" On $630 million COVID Budget

 Dunn condemns ‘failures’ in passage of more than $630 million COVID budget

 In response to passage Tuesday of the seventh COVID-19 supplemental budget – the largest in county history, topping $630 million – King County Vice Chair Reagan Dunn issued the following statement:

“Today I voted no on the seventh COVID-19 supplemental budget because it fails to fund the most basic functions of our County government — criminal justice and public safety. We have heard from the Sheriff’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office, and sitting judges of the King County Superior and District Courts about the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system’s ability to operate. We are seeing an unprecedented backlog in both violent and non-violent felony cases, an 86% increase in murders, and a significant increase in hate and bias crimes. With the facts before us, the safety of our community is at stake with no relief in sight—and that is unacceptable. We cannot lose sight of our basic job as elected County leaders, and I believe that this budget has.”

-- 5/25/2021

    King County Press Release