What the King County Council does for you

Thumbnail of Council District map The Metropolitan King County Council governs the 13th most populous county in the nation and oversees the second largest government in Washington state, with 1.8 million people living within 2,200 square miles.

As the legislative branch of King County government, the Council sets policies, enacts laws, helps constituents, and adopts the annual county budget. By carefully scrutinizing every ordinance, motion and budget, the Council has identified hundreds of millions of dollars in savings over the past decade.

We provide regional leadership and reliable services through oversight of:

Criminal justice services, such as sheriff’s deputies, prosecutors
and public defenders, District and Superior Courts, juvenile detention, and adult jails,
Metro Transit bus service and county roads,
King County International Airport (Boeing Field),
Wastewater treatment and solid waste
management,
Public health and human services,
Regional parks and Aquatic Center, and
Records, elections, and licensing.

King County is also the local government for the urban and rural unincorporated areas and provides contract services to many of the 39 cities inside the county.

Council districts

Councilmembers are elected to one of nine geographic council districts and must live in the district they serve. Council members serve four year terms and the positions are partisan. Each Councilmember represents about 200,000 constituents. Find your council district.

Service on outside committees

The duties of a King County Councilmember extend far beyond their visible attendance at Council meetings in the Courthouse. State law requires them to serve on many regional governing boards in such critical areas as transportation, public health, criminal justice, and other quality of life issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Learn more...