King County Council

As a result of a County Charter amendment passed by voters in the November 2008 elections, all elective offices of King County are officially nonpartisan; that being said, all current council members have made their party affiliations a matter of public record.{{Cite web|last=Board|first=SW Editorial|date=2017-10-04|title=Even in King County, the Republican Party Is One Big Gun Silencer|url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/even-in-king-county-the-republican-party-is-one-big-gun-silencer/|access-date=2021-03-05|website=Seattle Weekly|language=en-US}}{{better source needed|date=January 2024}}

• District 1: Rod Dembowski (D), took office 2013
• District 2: Girmay Zahilay (D), took office 2020
• District 3: Sarah Perry (D),{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/sarah-perry-wins-king-county-council-seat-ending-kathy-lamberts-two-decade-hold/|title = Sarah Perry wins King County Council seat, ending Kathy Lambert's two-decade hold|date = 4 November 2021}} took office 2022
• District 4: Jorge Barón (D), took office on January 9, 2024
• District 5: De'Sean Quinn (D),{{cite news |last1=Packer |first1=Ryan |title=Longtime Tukwila Councilmember De’Sean Quinn Joins King County Council |url=https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/01/31/desean-quinn-joins-king-county-council/ |access-date=1 February 2025 |publisher=The Urbanist |date=31 January 2024}} took office 2025
• District 6: Claudia Balducci (D), took office 2016
• District 7: Pete von Reichbauer (R),{{Cite news|title=Von Reichbauer favors nonpartisan county elections|work=Seattle Times|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/von-reichbauer-favors-nonpartisan-county-elections/}} took office 1994
• District 8: Teresa Mosqueda (D), took office on January 9, 2024{{cite news |last=Gutman |first=David |date=January 9, 2024 |title=Barón, Mosqueda become King County Council's first Latino members |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/baron-mosqueda-become-king-county-councils-first-latino-members/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 9, 2024}}
• District 9: Reagan Dunn (R),{{Cite web|title=Councilmember Reagan Dunn – Biography|url=https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/dunn/Biography.aspx|access-date=March 5, 2021}}{{Cite news|date=October 11, 2012|title=Attorney general's race: Republican Dunn carves his own path|work=Seattle Times|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/attorney-generals-race-republican-dunn-carves-his-own-path/|access-date=March 5, 2021}} took office 2005

The full county council meets weekly on Thursdays, except for the fifth Thursday in a month. Public comments are permitted at the fourth meeting of the month. Meetings are held in the County Council chambers, Room 1001, on the tenth floor of the King County Courthouse in Downtown Seattle.{{cite web |title=Full Council Meetings |url=https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/council/committees/full_council |publisher=King County Council |accessdate=January 21, 2024}}

The nine members of the council are elected by their district to four-year terms in nonpartisan contests. Councilmembers in even numbered districts are up for election in 2023, while Councilmembers in odd districts are up for election in 2025.{{cite news |last=Gutman |first=David |date=October 10, 2022 |title=Voters to decide whether to move King County elections to even years |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-move-king-county-elections-to-even-years/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 21, 2024}} Prior to 2009, councilmembers were elected on a partisan basis, and had to declare their political party unless they filed as an Independent. An independent candidate had to receive at least 20 percent of the vote in the primary election to qualify for the general election ballot.{{cn|date=January 2024}} This changed upon the passage of Charter Amendment 8 by voters in 2008, which made all elections for county offices nonpartisan.{{cite news |last=Ervin |first=Keith |date=November 5, 2008 |title=Initiative to make top posts nonpartisan leading handily |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/initiative-to-make-top-posts-nonpartisan-leading-handily/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 21, 2024}}

The Council uses its committee structure to consider the legislation before it. Ordinances and motions (policy statements) are assigned to a King County Council committee for consideration, and then are recommended to the full Council for action. Each year, the Council reorganizes and elects a Chair and Vice Chair. In addition, the Council decides yearly on its committee structure and makeup. Currently there are nine standing policy committees and three regional committees. Members of the Seattle City Council and representatives from suburban cities and local sewer districts are also members of the regional committees. In addition, all nine members of the Council meet as a Committee of the Whole to discuss broad-reaching legislation and issues.

The King County Executive is not a member of the Council, and is a separately elected official. The Executive submits legislation to the Council for consideration. Each year in October, the Executive submits a proposed budget to the County Council for the operation of County government for the coming year. The Executive has veto power over ordinances passed by the Council.

In the 2004 general election voters approved a charter amendment to reduce the size of the council from thirteen to nine, which went into effect January 1, 2006. With four fewer districts, the number of constituents per district rose from 138,000 residents to about 193,000.{{cite news |last=Downing |first=Jim |date=January 4, 2005 |title=Four plans surface to shrink County Council |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/four-plans-surface-to-shrink-county-council/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 21, 2024}}

:As of 2024{{cite web |last=Nickels |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Nickels |date=February 14, 2017 | url= https://www.historylink.org/File/7967 | title= King County Councilmembers, 1969-present | publisher= Historylink | access-date= October 2, 2021}}

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• [http://www.kingcounty.gov/council King County Council]

{{King County Council}}

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Council

Category:King County, Washington

Category:County government in Washington (state)

Category:County governing bodies in the United States