County council approves funding for Harborview

Harborview Medical Center in Seattle provides emergency services to the Pacific Northwest. It is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the state. Photo courtesy Harborview

The King County Council on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 approved the so-called “Sunshine Ordinance” which sets the type and rate of county taxes each year, which funds a broad spectrum of basic government services.

To fund Harborview Medical Center operations, maintenance and capital expansion, this year’s ordinance includes a dedicated property tax increase of 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, costing the average King County homeowner about $7.30 per month.

After Tuesday’s vote, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, a member of the King County leadership group that led to the creation of the Harborview funding proposal, released the following statement:

“I am proud of the action we took today to ensure Harborview Medical Center continues serving the people of King County and our region. The public we serve – and the workers who make this hospital so critical to the health of our region – will benefit from the investments we are making. 

"Harborview offers an essential lifeline by prioritizing those most in need of care and compassion with the fewest resources to access it: care for people without insurance, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and people with mental illness or substance use issues.

“Simultaneously, as we came to agreement to support the operations, maintenance and capital improvements of Harborview Medical Center, we are also continuing to fund our budget-strapped public health clinics.

“Many who access care through Harborview are also served by our public health clinics and both are key in keeping our most vulnerable neighbors healthy. On any given day, you can walk into one of Public Health’s 13 health centers and find people getting long-overdue dental care, mothers bringing their children for well-child check-ups, people struggling with opioid use accessing medication assisted treatment to tackle their addiction, and more.

“This was not an easy process – King County remains strictly limited in the types and levels of revenue we can enact, but as a community, we cannot afford to lose these critical services. In fact, the need is greater than ever. '

'There remains a critical need to shore up basic healthcare access, safeguard reproductive rights, meet complex behavioral health needs, and maintain level 1 trauma care. As we stare down the uncertainties in accessing and providing healthcare as the incoming Trump administration signals possibly cutting Medicaid and ending the Affordable Care Act, action now is urgent and prudent.

“Today we took meaningful action to support our region’s health safety net and look forward to continuing the collaboration with UW Medical Center.”