The King County Council's Law, Justice, Health, and Human Services Committee met Tuesday afternoon to consider options for continued County funding of human services beyond 2009. One of these options would dedicate a specific portion of the general fund to human services on an ongoing basis.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently projecting a $46 million general fund deficit in 2010. That figure is expected to increase as revenues to the general fund decrease. 2010 budget instructions from OMB issued in March directed a preliminary general fund reduction of 10.83% across all County departments and agencies. OMB also indicated that services mandated by State law will be prioritized over services that are not mandated and that items in the "lifeboat" which were funded for six months are to be eliminated in 2010. Consequently, 2010 will bring another year of reductions to the County's general fund contribution to human services.
The County cut nearly 35% of its general fund out of human services in 2009, which equated to a greater than $6 million reduction from 2008. The 2009 general fund contribution to human services equaled $11, 409,380, whereas the projected 2010 general fund contribution to human services totals merely $7,007,045.
While this is just a preliminary estimate intended to show the range of potential general fund reductions to human services, we must speak up NOW to help fight against these cuts.
The King County Alliance for Human Services supports dedicating 2-4% of the county's general fund annually to human services. In 2009, with a General Fund budget of $630 million, this would have resulted in $12.6 million to $25.2 million for urgently needed human services.
We have a window of opportunity now to show massive support for this plan, and potentially also impact Council action on the human services funding in the "lifeboat" for the second half of 2009. (They won't vote to fund those services for 6 more months of 2009 if they will just have to cut them in 2010. This strategy of dedicating funds to human services would provide the funds to continue the services in 2010.)
The Council will vote on Tuesday morning next week about the lifeboat funding, so we must get a tsunami of support for dedicated funds to human services into their offices this week.
Call your King County Councilmember TODAY!
Call the Councilmember representing your district and each Councilmember who has any constituents using your services!
Don't know which Councilmember to call? Click HERE to find out!
King County Councilmembers
Bob Ferguson District 1 296-1001
Larry Gossett District 2 296-1002
Kathy Lambert District 3 296-1003
Larry Phillips District 4 296-1004
Julia Patterson District 5 296-1005
Jane Hague District 6 296-1006
Pete von Reichbauer District 7 296-1007
Dow Constantine District 8 296-1008
Reagan Dunn District 9 296-1009
Phone Call Talking Points:
-King County is known across the country as a leader and an innovator. Leadership and innovation is exactly what is called for now. '
-King County has created clear policies stating that, "King County will seek to build and sustain a coordinated regional human services system to provide services, supports, safety and opportunity to those most in need."
-For this reason I would like to urge Councilmember __________ to take action to align the County's general fund support with your policy decisions by setting aside 2-4% of the general fund on an ongoing basis for a base level of human services annually.
This is a window of opportunity that will not reappear. ACT NOW!
