Executive will work with Council on long-term, sustainable funding for Metro bus service

September 30, 2014

Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine today issued a statement in regard to the County Council's vote Monday to delay Metro service reductions in February.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine today issued the following statement in regard to the County Council’s vote Monday to delay Metro service reductions in February:

“The plan to adjust Metro service hours to match revenues will now be part of the Council’s budget deliberation for the 2015-2016 biennium. My commitment to developing long-term, sustainable, responsible funding for transit service remains the same.

“We all share the determination to avoid service reductions where it can responsibly be done, and to one day increase service to meet the region’s growing demand for transit. But it is not prudent to risk the long-term financial stability of Metro to do so.

“Spending one-time money to sustain service now would likely result in substantial deficits and even deeper service cuts later. Because of Metro’s highly volatile revenue source, we should not base our current actions on the risky assumption that our region will not experience another recession in the future.

“I will continue to work with the Council through the budget process to develop a sustainable solution for Metro.”