News from Snohomish County Council

I am honored to be serving as your new District 2 Snohomish County Councilmember. I took office January 2, 2008 and it has been an exciting whirlwind becoming familiar with council procedures, issues and people.

Fortunately, I join the council with a wide range of useful experience, including: running a small restaurant in Mukilteo, serving eight years as mayor of Mukilteo, and most recently serving you in the Washington House of Representatives, as a State Representative from 2001 - 2007.

I look forward to working on your top priorities over the next four years. A few of my areas of interest include: economic development, affordable housing, historic preservation and alternative energy.

The first edition of my eNewsletter includes just a few issues that I am currently involved with. Sending newsletters by e-mail is an inexpensive and convenient method for keeping in touch with you.

Please contact me anytime with questions, concerns or to share your priorities. I also welcome any eNewsletter topic suggestions.

● Phone: 425-388-3494

● E-mail:

Brian.Sullivan@snoco.org.

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Public Safety Town Hall Meeting Highlights Public Concerns

Over 60 people attended a Public Safety Town Hall Meeting last month at Mariner High School to share concerns of neighborhood crime and learn what county government is doing to increase community security. I joined County Executive Aaron Reardon, County Sheriff John Lovick and County Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis at this forum.

Graffiti and petty crime were the two main topics of concern citizens raised. In conjunction with this, the council passed an ordinance last week establishing a graffiti abatement program. The ordinance will work to combat graffiti through education and quick clean-up. Once graffiti is reported, the county will educate the property owner of the clean-up assistance options offered by the county (if the victim is unable to combat the graffiti). This is the first step in the County's effort to eliminate graffiti on both public and private property. Stay tuned for future graffiti abatement tools!

Over and over again, we heard about the great pride people take in their neighborhoods. We listened intently and are committed to helping ensure safe and clean neighborhoods in Snohomish County.Safety is a top priority for me.

Mariner

Pictured to the right, Executive Reardon and Sheriff Lovick join me in responding to area residents' concerns about public safety.

County Budget is the Bottom Line

As chair of the County Council's Finance & Economic Development Committee, I am responsible for the Council's recommended budget. Though some days it feels as though I am drinking water from a fire hose, I enjoy immersing myself in the details of county financing and budgets. Rest assured I will put my full effort into creating a financially responsible and comprehensive 2009 county budget. I look forward to working with the County Executive on the proposed budget and meet weekly with the County Finance Director to ensure a collaborative and smooth budget process.

Understanding the budget details is critical, but even more important is applying common sense and experience to prepare for the future. Like any business, government is impacted by the cyclical ups and downs of the economy, and right now the national economy is sliding downhill. Snohomish County's business climate remains robust in comparison, although there are already signs of slowing in our real estate market. County revenues are bound to be stressed, while at the same time there will be increasing demand for core government services, such as human services and public safety. Balancing revenues with public needs is the bottom line and I take this responsibility very seriously.

The County Budget in Detail

● The 2008 Snohomish County budget is $672.8 million.

Snohomish County's annual budget pays for all regional and local county government services. About 69% of the county's total revenue is dedicated to specific programs and services, such as county roads, state and federal grants, and permits and services.

● The 2008 Snohomish County General Fund budget is $210.7 million.

About 72% of the General Fund budget pays for law & justice expenses -- courts, jails, police, medical examiners and prosecutors. The remainder must be stretched to cover financial and central services, land use planning and human services.

For a more detailed look at the budget, see the 2008 County Budget Summary.

County Council Meetings Now Webcast

The County Council has taken a big step to increase public access to county government. All meetings of the Council are now broadcast or webcast on the internet.

Residents can watch county public hearings and council committee meetings any time over the internet.

Link to Council Webcasts to see live and archived meetings, agendas and minutes.

I hope you found this eNewsletter to be informative and useful. You can make it even more valuable by suggesting topics and issues for future newsletters. If you would like to share this newsletter, select the Forward email link below.

Sincerely,

Brian Sullivan
Snohomish County Council