Summary

If you live in King County, your input is needed! King County government is asking residents what they would like the County to focus its resources on in the future and to help develop a plan for how the County can better serve the community. It is part of an outreach effort for the Countywide Strategic Plan, which will reflect the priorities of its residents and help guide the County's decision making and budgeting over the next five years. This is especially important now, as the County faces budget deficits and a shortage of dollars available for existing services.

Story

If you live in King County, your input is needed! King County government is asking residents what they would like the County to focus its resources on in the future and to help develop a plan for how the County can better serve the community.  It is part of an outreach effort for the Countywide Strategic Plan, which will reflect the priorities of its residents and help guide the County's decision making and budgeting over the next five years. This is especially important now, as the County faces budget deficits and a shortage of dollars available for existing services.

King County would like to hear from all of the residents and communities it serves regarding their priorities, values, and expectations, and what services should be priorities for the County.

The King County Executive staff will hold a community meeting for Southeast Asians, to explain the County planning process and to hear what services people in Southeast Asian communities think are most important and to get their input on where the county is now, where residents want it to go, and how we're going to get from here to there.

The meeting will be held on:

Thursday, August 27

ACRS joins King County in urging Southeast Asian community members to participate in the planning process to let the County know what is most important to the community, whether it is buses, healthcare, community and social services, or the other important services the County provides. The plan will guide the County's budgeting decisions to support, improve, reduce, or eliminate services important to the community.

Interpretation in Vietnamese, Cambodian, Lao and Mien will be provided.  Interpreters in other Southeast Asian languages may be available if requested as soon as possible and no later than August 21.  To reserve your place at this event, or to request interpreters in other languages, please contact Joanne Cheung at 206-695-7600 or via email at joannec@acrs.org by August 21.  Please indicate your name and the language you speak.  Light refreshments will be provided at the event.

King County provides services to 1.9 million people in 39 cities.  Services include buses, public health, community and social services, courts, jails, prosecutors, public defenders, King County International Airport, and local services like police protection, roads services, and garbage collection.

The King County Council asked the King County Executive to develop a strategic plan for the County based on the values and priorities of residents.  The deadline for the final plan is December 15, 2009.

 For more information about the strategic plan and ways to offer opinions, go to https://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/strategy/StrategicPlan/CountyStratPlan.aspx.