Budget Committee Chairman Rob McKenna, R-Bellevue, points out that county revenue has in fact soared, but so have expenses. McKenna isn't particularly worried about the seeming lack of county money. It is going to be a consideration in future negotiations. There's no question the cost of employee benefits is growing at what county officials call an alarming rate. Yesterday, council members hinted they might seek to balance the budget by capping benefit costs before they vote on a final package in the last week in November.
Union representatives say they feel they're in the cross hairs.
Dustin Frederick, business manager for Service Employees Internationl Union, has been meeting privately with Sims and council members to head off what could be a major conflict in coming months. But not all council members see budget solutions in employee benefit cuts. Some suggest that public safety, which absorbs 67 percent of the budget, should take a hit. The King County Sheriff's Office is a rarity these days. After a well-publicized spat over spiraling overtime costs, the agency likely will see a 6 percent jump in funding for 2001.