State Sen. Fred Jarrett and Rep. Ross Hunter, both Democrats from King County's Eastside, finished back in the pack in the King County Executive race. It's gonna be King County Councilman Dow Constantine and former TV anchor Susan Hutchison in that race.

So, both guys are likely to be around for next session. Until, that is, Hunter decides to run for Congress.

Here are the election returns as of yesterday afternoon.

Assuming their comfortable leads hold up as more votes are counted, former anchorwoman Susan Hutchison and King County Council Chairman Dow Constantine will face off in the Nov. 3 general election for King County executive. The much-coveted executive position attracted eight candidates following the departure of Ron Sims to the Obama Administration.

The county will be mothballing 39 parks but will continue to operate 140 parks, including the Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

The 39 mothballed parks will remain open for use but will not be maintained. In December crews will fence playground equipment, lock and secure restrooms, post signs and lock gates in the 39 parks in potential annexation areas of Burien, Kent, Renton, Kirkland, Issaquah, Seattle, Federal Way, Redmond and SeaTac.

Effort to bridge budget shortfall means King County no longer funding urban local parks

King County Executive Kurt Triplett today announced he will zero-out funding for parks from the General Fund in 2010 by mothballing 39 parks in urban unincorporated areas. The move will save $4.6 million and is one more way to cover a $56.4 million shortfall in projected tax revenues needed to maintain 2009 service levels.

All the parks proposed for mothballing are in potential annexation areas of cities and primarily used by local residents but maintained with countywide general fund tax dollars.

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Someone kindly forwarded to me this e-mail from (temporary) King County Executive Kurt Triplett about the county's concerns about the potential for really bad flooding this fall and winter because of defects in an earthen berm next to the Howard Hanson Dam.

As I do when I get forwarded e-mails, I cut and pasted it to protect the sender, then asked King County folks to authenticate it.

More later.

From: KC Global Announcement
Sent: Mon 8/10/2009 1:43 PM
To: ZZGrp, All King County E-Mail Users
Subject: Elevated flood risk in Green River Valley

Dear King County Employee,
You will learn and hear more in the coming weeks about a potentially serious flooding situation King County is preparing for that could have serious impacts for residents, businesses and county employees who live or work in the lower Green River Valley

The Army Corps of Engineers has notified the county that it is working to find a solution to serious structural issues in an earthen bank next to the Howard Hanson Dam in the Green River Valley.

Until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can make repairs, it will limit the amount of flood water it stores behind the dam but in the meantime, residents, businesses and farms below the dam should prepare now for a higher risk of flooding. This includes people who work at more than one dozen King County facilities downstream of the dam, such as King County Elections, Animal Care and Control, the Department of Development and Environmental Services, and numerous Public Health clinics, among others.

=> Read more!

Son–of–Everett Pete Jackson has identified the secret for projecting winners in both the Seattle mayor election and the King County executive election: Everett roots.

Find his piece here.

May marked the end of the first year of operation for the High Occupancy Toll lanes on Highway 167 in South King County. That's 1 year out of a 4-year experiment to see whether the state can squeeze more use out of the highway by getting solo drivers to buy their way into the carpool lane when traffic is really heavy in the general purpose lanes.

The state Department of Transportation is declaring the first year a success. (Here is the 20-page report.) What do you drivers say?

According to the DOT, here are the highlights:

--More than 30,000 individual Good to Go! customers paid to drive the HOT lane.
--The average toll rate paid was about $1.
--The average number of daily tolled trips continues to increase monthly from 1,050 trips per weekday in May 2008 to 1,710 trips per weekday in April 2009.
--General purpose (GP) lane speeds increased 10 percent.
--GP lane volumes increased up to 4 percent.
--HOT lane volumes increased up to 3 percent.
--HOT lane traffic speeds increased up to 8 percent.
--Carpool and transit travel times maintained at HOV-only (pre-HOT) levels.
--The HOT lane does not appear to have any adverse impact on safety.

Carpools, buses, solo drivers saving time in HOT lane

First annual report shows HOT lane option still growing in popularity

KENT – More than 30,000 solo drivers paid an average toll of $1 to escape heavy traffic on State Route 167 and drive in the high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane during the pilot project’s first year.

=> Read more!

You'll note that 1,300 riders had to take a bus shuttle to get all the way to the airport because that final segment won't be open until December.

Here is a link to the Washington Policy Center's take on ridership. (It also appears in the comment section).

The center's points are well taken. The 12,000 "riders" probably is only 6,600 different "people." But I'm not going to get bent out of shape by that. I don't think Sound Transit was deliberately distorting the numbers. Rather, the agency was just writing in a language the average person could understand.

Strong ridership during first week of Link light rail service
Link proves popular option for special events

During its first week of regular service Central Link light rail carried an estimated average of 12,000 riders each weekday. Another estimated 16,900 riders took Link on Saturday and 15,100 on Sunday.

“We're encouraged by the large numbers of people who boarded light rail on opening weekend and have started using it every day," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "This is a new way to think about getting around our region and we know ridership will continue to increase as more people try the system and we expand the line to more communities."

Nationally, ridership on new light rail systems ramps up over time as more and more people find out about the service and give it a try. Weekday ridership during the first week was already more than halfway to the level Sound Transit projections show for the end of 2009.

=> Read more!

The state Growth Management Act encourages cities to annex areas that have become densely populated so counties can focus on big picture issues.

County Council places Finn Hill, Kingsgate and North Juanita annexation vote on November ballot

Residents to decide whether to become part of city of Kirkland

Consistent with County policy calling for the annexation of urban unincorporated areas, the Metropolitan King County Council today placed a measure on the November general election ballot giving residents of the unincorporated communities of Finn Hill, Kingsgate and North Juanita the choice of annexation into the city of Kirkland.

“I have always believed in the rights of citizens to make decisions about their form of local government,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, who represents the area. “We will now watch eagerly to see what the voters decide.”

=> Read more!

This was 1 of 2 annexation proposals the King County Council put on the November ballot.

County Council places Panther Lake annexation vote on November ballot
Residents to decide whether to become part of city of Kent

Consistent with County policy calling for the annexation of urban unincorporated areas, the Metropolitan King County Council today placed a measure on the November general election ballot giving residents of the unincorporated community of Panther Lake the choice of annexation into the city of Kent.

=> Read more!

County Council appoints Lynn Gering as King County Assessor

Action follows wishes of the family of Interim Assessor Rich Medved

Lynn Gering, the Chief Appraiser in the King County Assessor’s Office for the past 11 years, was unanimously appointed today by the Metropolitan King County Council and sworn in to serve as King County Assessor until the results of the November general election are certified.

=> Read more!

Well, the County Council will select someone to fill in for the next few months, anyway. I'll update this post as news comes in. Council members probably are discussing it at this very moment.

NEWS ADVISORY

The Metropolitan King County Council is scheduled to act today on the appointment of a King County Assessor to serve until the results of the November election are certified. The Council is set to act at its morning session starting at 11:00 a.m. today.

The appointment will fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former Assessor Scott Noble on June 18.

“I am not advocating that the King County Council raise these taxes,” King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson says in her news release.

But she does want to put the increase on the ballot. So, ya think she wants voters to defeat it?

The word "veteran" appears very prominently in Patterson's news release. Being listed first might give one the impression that veterans are the primary beneficiaries of her tax increase proposal. But I'm guessing the stuff for veterans is a relatively small portion of the $45 million Patterson wants to spend each year. Vets have more appeal than "human services."

UPDATE(10 a.m. Tuesday): Al Sanders, who works for the County Council, e-mailed me a copy of the full proposed ordinance. It appears at the bottom of this post. It appears that 30 percent of the tax increase would be spent on veterans and the rest on other human services. So, I stand corrected on saying I suspected little money would be spent on vets.

Her news release says she wants to boost property taxes by 10 cent per $1,000 in valuation. And it's a six-year levy.

Patterson releases details of early renewal and
expansion of Veterans and Human Services Levy

Dedicated funding for public health would be added

=> Read more!