imported post
kparker wrote:
you're breaking the copyright by reproducing the entire work here in full, whether or not you provide an accurate attribution of the authorship, unless you have the prior explicit permission of the copyright holder.
OK, you asked for it I left out "that" at the end of the article which technically makes it an incomplete article:
Thursday, April 15, 2010 - Page updated at 12:31 AM
Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail
resale@seattletimes.com with your request.
Budget trouble ahead, criminal-justice officials warn King County Council
By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter
King County's ability to respond next year to emergency police calls, investigate crimes, and prosecute and supervise criminals is in jeopardy because of budget shortfalls, top criminal-justice officials said Wednesday.
If the county made a 12 percent across-the-board cut — roughly the magnitude of the projected funding gap — 36 prosecutors would be laid off, leaving only two-thirds of the lawyers the office had two years ago, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg told a Metropolitan King County Council budget committee.
"Justice in King County will be unrecognizable if we take this kind of cut," he said.
Such cuts would likely lead to dismissing criminal cases, he said, because of delays, and felony suspects would be released if prosecutors couldn't meet a 72-hour deadline for filing charges.
Satterberg, Sheriff Sue Rahr, District Court Presiding Judge Barbara Linde and Superior Court Presiding Judge Bruce Hilyer told council members how they would handle 12 percent cuts to their spending power.
The four suggested earlier this year that voters be asked to approve a sales-tax increase of up to three-tenths of a penny to fund criminal justice, public health and human services. They set the idea aside while the Legislature considered, then rejected, a statewide sales-tax increase.
County Executive Dow Constantine last month said a tax hike shouldn't be put before voters until the county can show progress in holding spending to the rate of inflation. Constantine hasn't yet said how deeply he might propose cutting the budget.
Budget Director Dwight Dively said the county projects a drop of $50 million to $60 million — or 10 to 15 percent — in the revenue required to keep general-fund operations at current levels.
Last year, facing a $56 million gap, Executive Kurt Triplett's budget office considered 11 percent across-the-board cuts, but minimized the impact to justice agencies, in part by cutting human services, animal control and an annexation incentive fund.
On the possibility of higher taxes, Dively said, "Everything is under consideration. We mean it: everything from all cuts to potential ballot measures. They could be sooner, they could be later, they could be this year, they could be later."
The criminal-justice leaders didn't discuss a tax hike, but strengthened the hand of council members hoping for a ballot measure.
Rahr said a 12 percent cut would force layoffs of 70 of the 370 deputies and supervisors who provide police protection outside cities.
"I cannot further cut and continue to promise 340,000 citizens in unincorporated King County that they will have a reasonable response when they dial 911," she said.
Rahr added that she'd close storefront offices, halt participation in regional task forces and end investigations of burglaries and drug crimes.
Hilyer said Superior Court would have to close Family Court Services, reduce juvenile probation counseling, and cut special advocates for children. Linde said District Court, for instance, would end probation services.
County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn, Kathy Lambert and Julia Patterson said they were open to a tax increase.
Budget Committee Chair Patterson said she'd consider putting a tax on the ballot only with support from "the entire government. ... We would need to be implored by the executive branch and the separately electeds before we would do (
remainder of article withheld. Refer to link for complete article http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2011609373&zsection_id=2003925728&slug=kingbudget15m&date=20100414)."
Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105.
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