Metropolitan King County Council
King County, Washington
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Chairperson
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Structure
Seats9
Political groups
Officially nonpartisan
Democratic Party (7)
Republican Party (2)
Committees
List of Committees
    • Budget and Fiscal Management
    • Committee of the Whole
    • Government Accountability and Oversight
    • Employment and Administration
    • Health, Housing and Human Services
    • Law and Justice
    • Transportation, Economy and Environment
    • Regional Policy
    • Regional Transit
    • Regional Water Quality
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Last election
November 2, 2021
Meeting place
1200 King County Courthouse
516 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98104
Website
King County Council

The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is the result of a merger of King County and the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, better known as Metro, which was a federated county-city structure responsible for water quality and public transportation.

Councilmembers

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.[1]

Meetings

The County Council meets weekly at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Meetings are held in the County Council chambers, Room 1001, on the tenth floor of the King County Courthouse located at 516 Third Avenue between James and Jefferson in downtown Seattle.

Structure

Nine Councilmembers are elected by district to four-year terms. Councilmembers in even numbered districts are up for election in 2023, while Councilmembers in odd districts are up for election in 2025. 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. This changed upon the passage of Charter Amendment 8 by voters in 2008, which made all elections for county offices nonpartisan.

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.

Redistricting

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.

Past Councilmembers

As of 2017[7]
District Councilmember Political party[lower-alpha 1] Term start Term end
1Tracy OwenRepublican19691981
2Bob DunnRepublican19691979
3Bill ReamsRepublican19691989
4Bernice SternDemocratic19691980
5John O'BrienRepublican19691973
6Tom ForsytheRepublican19691975
7Ed MunroDemocratic19691973
8Ed HeaveyDemocratic19691975
9Dave MooneyDemocratic19691976
5Ruby ChowDemocratic19741985
7Paul BardenRepublican19741993
6Mike LowryDemocratic19761979
8Bob GreiveDemocratic19761987
9Bob GainesDemocratic19771977
6Pat ThorpeDemocratic19791979
2Scott BlairRepublican19801983
4Lois NorthRepublican19801992
6Bruce LaingRepublican19801996
1Audrey GrugerDemocratic19821993
2Cynthia SullivanDemocratic19842003
5Ron SimsDemocratic19861997
8Greg NickelsDemocratic19882001
3Brian DerdowskiRepublican19901999
9Kent PullenRepublican19902003
4Larry PhillipsDemocratic19922015
1Maggie FimiaDemocratic19942001
3Louise MillerRepublican19942001
7Pete von ReichbauerRepublican1994
10Larry GossettDemocratic19942019
11Jane HagueRepublican19942015
13Chris VanceRepublican19942001
6Rob McKennaRepublican19962005
5Dwight PelzDemocratic19972005
12David IronsRepublican20002005
13Les ThomasRepublican20012001
1Carolyn EdmondsDemocratic20022005
3Kathy LambertRepublican20022021
13Julia PattersonDemocratic20022013
8Dow ConstantineDemocratic20022009
9Steve HammondRepublican20032005
2Bob FergusonDemocratic20042013
9Reagan DunnRepublican2005
8Jan DragoDemocratic20102010
8Joe McDermottDemocratic2011
1Rod DembowskiDemocratic2013
5Dave UpthegroveDemocratic2014
4Jeanne Kohl-WellesDemocratic2016
6Claudia BalducciDemocratic2016
2Girmay ZahilayDemocratic2020
3Sarah PerryDemocratic2022

Notes

  1. ↑ Although county offices in King County were made officially nonpartisan in 2008, all councillors have made their party affiliations a matter of public record.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Board, SW Editorial (October 4, 2017). "Even in King County, the Republican Party Is One Big Gun Silencer". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sarah Perry wins King County Council seat, ending Kathy Lambert's two-decade hold". November 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Gutman, David (January 9, 2024). "Barón, Mosqueda become King County Council's first Latino members". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Von Reichbauer favors nonpartisan county elections". Seattle Times.
  5. ↑ "Councilmember Reagan Dunn – Biography". Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Attorney general's race: Republican Dunn carves his own path". Seattle Times. October 11, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ Nickels, Greg (February 14, 2017). "King County Councilmembers, 1969-present". Historylink. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
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