King County Council corrects technical error in parks levy ordinance, appoints voters' pamphlet committee

At a special meeting April 29, 2025, the King County Council adopted an ordinance correcting cross-reference errors in a proposed parks levy measure and appointed a three-member committee to prepare the voters’ pamphlet statements, steps council members said were needed to ensure the measure could appear on the Aug. 5, 2025 special-election ballot.

The council’s action replaced and repealed the earlier ordinance tied to the parks levy and declared an emergency so the Elections Department could include the measure on the August ballot. Council staff briefed members that the corrections addressed an erroneous statutory cross‑reference that would have prevented some levy proceeds from being distributed to cities and towns, and an incorrect reference in a zip‑code reporting requirement.

“An erroneous cross reference was identified that would preclude the distribution of a significant portion of levy proceeds to cities and towns contrary to the intent of the council,” Wendy Sahu, council staff, told members as she explained the technical corrections and the need to repeal the prior ordinance and replace it with the corrected text.

Councilmember Von Reichbauer said the corrections were the…