Here are King County Executive Dow Constantine’s top 16 accomplishments in 2016:
1. Voters approve region’s biggest expansion of mass transit
Transit expansions include light rail to Everett, Tacoma, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Ballard and West Seattle; bus rapid transit along I-405; and Sounder train expansions in the South Puget Sound region. Sound Transit will connect the region with an integrated, high-capacity transportation system.
2. Best Starts for Kids launches
Constantine launched the first strategy funded by Best Starts for Kids to help families that are on the verge of being homeless. The program addresses families’ specific needs, such as clothes for a job interview or help with the first month’s rent, and is based on a successful pilot funded by the Gates Foundation.
3. Confronting the heroin and opioid epidemic
A task force of experts from a wide range of disciplines delivered a comprehensive list of recommendations to confront a heroin and opioid epidemic that has caused a spike in addiction and fatal overdoses across the region. The plan focuses on prevention and increasing access to treatment.
4. Transforming animal services to increase pet-save rate
Six years ago, King County considered disbanding its animal services division amid high euthanasia rates and poor shelter conditions. Today, nearly nine out of 10 cats and dogs that come into the county’s care find a safe home.
5. Investing in affordable workforce housing near transit
Constantine signed legislation to create more than 1,000 units of affordable workforce housing over the next five years around Sound Transit and King County Metro transit stations, with up to $87 million from the sale of bonds backed by future lodging tax revenues.
6. King County quadruples number of ballot drop boxes
With strong support from Constantine and the King County Council, Elections Director Julie Wise quadrupled the number of ballot drop boxes from 10 to 43. More than 90 percent of residents now live within three miles of a drop box.
7. Constantine named Public Official of the Year
Governing magazine named the executive a 2016 Public Official of the Year for his leadership on Best Starts for Kids and expanding mass transit in the Puget Sound region. He is one of eight public officials from across the U.S. honored for delivering innovative solutions to some of the greatest challenges of this generation.
8. Making progress on Metro’s all-electric bus fleet
Metro Transit began testing its first all-electric, battery-powered buses. It’s an example of how King County is taking advantage of the latest clean-energy technology, and Constantine set the goal for Metro to increase transit service through 2020 with no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
9. Partnership to plant one million trees by 2020
Planting one million trees by 2020 is a target action in King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan, a road map for how King County will reduce carbon pollution, increase transit, protect open spaces, and prepare communities for the impacts of a changing climate.
10. Light rail ridership soars after opening 3 new stations
After opening new stations at the University of Washington, Capitol Hill and Angle Lake, light rail weekday ridership rose 71 percent for the third quarter of 2016, with the number of Link riders surpassing regional express bus users for the first time in Sound Transit’s history.
11. National leader in supporting LGBTQ-owned small businesses
Local and national business associations say Constantine’s decision to make King County the largest county in the U.S. to track the number of contracts awarded to LGBT-owned small businesses will have a positive impact on the region’s economy.
12. King County joins list of Forbes best places to work
King County’s efforts to create a workplace culture that empowers employees as problem-solvers and decision-makers led to a Forbes magazine ranking as one of America’s 500 Best Employers. King County ranked number 192 on the list—the first time it has appeared in the rankings.
13. Confronting homelessness by increasing access to affordable housing
Executive Constantine announced a series of actions to confront homelessness and create additional affordable housing. King County increased shelter capacity in South and East King County, created an additional 237 units of affordable housing, and provided rental assistance to those who used to be homeless.
14. Making progress on the Eastside Rail Corridor
King County made significant progress on the 16 miles of new trail it’s contributing to the emerging Eastside Rail Corridor, which will connect communities from Renton to Woodinville with a world-class system that knits together 42 miles of uninterrupted multipurpose trail.
15. Executive receives prestigious national arts award
Constantine was honored by the Americans for the Arts with a prestigious Public Leadership in the Arts Award, which recognizes his steadfast commitment to the arts over the course of his career.
16. Protecting our region from the risks of oil and coal transport
In the two years since Constantine hosted the first Safe Energy Leadership Alliance meeting, SELA has delivered results. Both Washington and Oregon have passed laws introduced by SELA members to protect communities from the increasing risk of oil-train explosions and spills.
