Dembowski named vice-chair of King County Council

McDermott (center), Dembowski (right) and Dunn (left) 

will lead County Council in 2016

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Joe McDermott will Chair the County Council in 2016. McDermott was unanimously selected as Council Chair by the full Council, and will be joined by Rod Dembowski and Reagan Dunn, as the Council’s two Vice Chairs.

The appointments of McDermott, Dembowski and Dunn are part of the reorganization of the County Council for 2016. Councilmember Dembowski will serve as Vice Chair of Policy Development and Review with Dunn serving as Vice Chair of Regional Coordination.

Rod Dembowski has served on the Council since 2013 and has been the Chair of the Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee since 2014.

“I appreciate the confidence my colleagues have placed in me to serve as Vice-Chair of the Council,” said Dembowski. 

“I also look forward to continuing to lead on transportation and environmental policy as Chair of the Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee. From updating King County’s Comprehensive Plan, to ensuring the successful implementation of Best Starts for Kids, and working to secure long-term funding for our public health clinics, there’s tremendous opportunity to improve every community in our region.”

As the Council’s Management Team, the Chair and Vice-Chairs work together to set the agendas for meetings of the Council and Committee of the Whole and coordinate the referral and scheduling of legislation.

The Committee of the Whole, the only Council committee on which all nine members serve, will have a new Chair. Councilmember Kathy Lambert will Chair the committee in 2016.

Dembowski will continue to chair the Transportation, Economy and Environment committee, which is responsible for oversight of transportation (including public transit and county roads), salmon recovery, and water quality and control. Makes recommendations on policies relating to growth management (including land use development and regulation), comprehensive planning, annexations, affordable housing, and the unincorporated and rural areas.

He also sits on the Budget and Fiscal Management, Law and Justice, and Regional Water Quality committees.

Dembowski represents County District 1, which includes the communities of Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, North Seattle, Shoreline, and Woodinville.