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King County panel corrects ordinance cross‑references, fast‑tracks measure for Aug. 5 ballot
Summary
The Regional Policy Committee voted 11-0 to recommend repeal and replacement of Ordinance 19914 with proposed Ordinance 2025-0130 to fix internal reference errors, declare an emergency, and expedite placement of a parks proposition on the Aug. 5 ballot; staff said an error could have blocked about $91 million in distributions to towns and cities.
The King County Regional Policy Committee on April 29 recommended that the County Council repeal and replace Ordinance 19914 with proposed Ordinance 2025-0130 to correct internal cross references, declare the measure an emergency and expedite placement of a parks proposition on the Aug. 5 ballot.
Committee staff said the change is needed to fix references that make portions of the original ordinance unworkable. "Some erroneous cross references were identified, including one that would have precluded the distribution of, conservatively estimated, $91,000,000 to towns and cities, contrary to the intent of the Council," Wendy Suho, King County staff, said during a brief report to the committee.
Why it matters: The committee identified mapping errors that, if left uncorrected, would have blocked intended fund distributions and an incorrect reference in a zip‑code reporting requirement. The committee declared the ordinance an emergency to meet the May 2 deadline for submitting a proposition to the Elections Department for the August 5 ballot.
Wendy Suho told the committee that proposed Ordinance 2025-0130 is otherwise identical to Ordinance 19914 except for corrected internal references, and that staff had moved quickly after partner actions prompted additional review. "Proposed Ordinance 2025-0130 would correct those cross references, repeal the original ordinance and declare an emergency as emergency action by the May 2 deadline for submitting a proposition to the Elections Department for the August 5 ballot," Suho said.
Mayor Nancy Backus, vice chair of the committee, moved the recommendation. The clerk called the roll; the committee recorded 11 ayes, no noes and one excused member. The committee issued a due‑pass recommendation on proposed Ordinance 2025-0130 and directed staff to expedite the item to a special full Council meeting scheduled for 1:30 p.m. the same day; the item will not be placed on the consent calendar.
Committee members and staff noted the compressed timeline required rapid review after outside parties raised issues. The meeting record names the Sound City Association and the City of Seattle as partners whose actions prompted staff to recheck the ordinance text.
Next steps: With the committee's due‑pass recommendation, the full King County Council will take final action at a special meeting called for 1:30 p.m. today. If the council approves the emergency ordinance and places the measure on the ballot, voters will see the parks proposition on the Aug. 5 ballot.
