A crowd of about 1,200 people heard King County Council member Reagan Dunn announce his intention to run again for the council this week.
Guest speakers included Attorney General Rob McKenna, Secretary of State Sam Reed and King County Sheriff Sue Rahr.
Dunn of Maple Valley represents the council’s Ninth District, which includes part of Renton.
The County Council is nonpartisan; but in the past Dunn has run as a Republican. His late mother, Jennifer Dunn, was an eight-term U.S. representative in the Eighth Congressional District.
Dunn was joined onstage in Bellevue with is wife Paige.
In the keynote address, Dunn spoke for about 15 minutes about the problems facing King County, pointing to the $93 million budget deficit this year and a projected $50 million budget deficit next year as examples of why King County government needs to make drastic changes.
“In 2005, Ron Sims declared that the ‘era of deficits is over.’ At that time King County had $115 million in emergency reserves. By 2008, the courthouse establishment had raided those reserves to the tune of $60 million,” Dunn said.
“They did this in a period of economic growth and 5 percent to 6 percent annual revenue increases. That’s like going to Vegas with your children’s college fund after you maxed out the credit card. Could we use that money now? You bet we could. Instead, we are cutting human services and eliminating police on the street.”
Dunn criticized three tax increases proposed by the Washington State Legislature to fill the county’s budget deficits. He cited the economy and the desire for King County to be the first region to come out of the recession as reasons to oppose new taxes.
“The legislature is poised to give the county authority to pass 3 new tax increases – including a .3 percent sales tax. Let me say this very plainly – I’m not in favor of any of them. It is absolutely irresponsible during these bad economic times to tax economic activity,” Dunn said.
Instead Dunn called for a “new era a fiscal responsibility” where government makes responsible budget decisions and prioritizes spending.
