The King County Council on Tuesday adopted an ordinance directing the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to strengthen contract management and compliance monitoring after the county auditor identified weaknesses in a recent review.

The adopted measure (proposed ordinance 2025‑0266, as amended) requires DCHS to document and implement best practices for contract management, perform annual risk assessments of contract agencies, and conduct at least one in‑person site visit of each multiyear contractor every three years. The ordinance also requires DCHS to prioritize and promptly initiate site visits when there are complaints that credible evidence indicates possible fraud, waste or abuse.

The council approved a striking amendment (S1) that added several near‑term reporting requirements and implementation milestones. Under the adopted package, DCHS must, among other items, report by Oct. 20 on the feasibility of a services‑provider capacity and fiscal partnership program and on options to publish more robust public dashboards of contract outcomes. DCHS also must provide a written status report by Nov. 30 responding to audit recommendations and implementation plans, and annual updates beginning next year on monitoring activities, site visit coverage and time contractors spend on compliance tasks.

Council members amended the ordinance to include a council intent that the county re‑establish an internal audit function (two FTEs) to provide proactive audits across departments. Separately, an amendment directs the county auditor to analyze the feasibility, costs and timeline for additional independent oversight options, including an independent contract‑review function, a potential inspector general model, and a qui tam‑style reporting mechanism; the auditor was asked to report back with a status update in March and a fuller analysis by June.

Council Member Reagan Dunn, sponsor of the ordinance and the striking amendment, described the measure as a major governance package. "This is, with amendments, [a] 30‑page document on good governance," Dunn said, and urged colleagues to approve the changes. The ordinance passed on a 9–0 roll call.