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Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919
MAY 14, 2025
www.QueenAnneNews.com
VOL. 106, NO. 20
King County executive’s 200-day news plan includes new revenue to fill $150M budget newsgap
& QueenAnne&Magnolia QueenAnne
Magnolia By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
PHOOS COURTESY AMTRAK
Major construction activities are underway at Amtrak’s King Street Yard in Seattle, where crews recently began building the foundation for a new nearly 100,000 square foot maintenance facility that will help improve Amtrak service and support the introduction of new trains in the Pacific Northwest.
Amtrak advances upgrade to Seattle Rail Yard Submitted Major construction activities are underway at Amtrak’s King Street Yard in Seattle, where crews recently began building the foundation for a new nearly 100,000 square foot maintenance facility that will help improve Amtrak service and support the introduction of new trains in the Pacific Northwest. “The Pacific Northwest is a key priority for Amtrak, with the popular Amtrak Cascades line between Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, B.C. and points in between, as well as our Long Distance Coast Starlight and Empire Builder trains connecting the region,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. "This critical investment will help us meet growing customer demand for a new era of rail with brand new trains that will upgrade safety, reliability, and comfort.” As part of a recent visit to multiple West Coast operations, Harris stopped in Seattle to check out the project’s progress, lead a media tour of the site, meet with employees, and connect with regional partners. The upgraded King Street Yard will enable modern, more efficient maintenance practices, and support the
introduction of new, state-of-the-art Amtrak Airo trains set to enter service first on the Amtrak Cascades route in 2026, along with maintenance for trains on the Long Distance routes that operate out of this yard. When the project is completed in 2027, the modernized rail yard will feature a new two-bay Maintenance and Inspection facility and a new Service and Cleaning
bay that provide the foundations for a world-class maintenance yard. Immediately after awarding the construction contract last summer, Amtrak and its contractor began early pre-construction activities such as relocating buildings and train car equipment before grading the property
With a looming $150 million budget deficit, King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s is implementing a 200-day plan to find new revenue. Within her limited time as King County executive, Braddock is tasked with filling a $150 million budget gap, further exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt federal funding to the county for continuing its DEI programs. Braddock was appointed as King County executive Tuesday to a seven-month term. The Metropolitan King County Council unanimously confirmed Braddock to the role. She had been serving as acting county executive since April 1, when she took over for Dow Constantine, who stepped down to become CEO of Sound Transit. Braddock revealed her 200-day plan on Tuesday, which seeks to build a balanced budget, resist federal actions, and make sure the county is prepared for emergencies before transitioning to a new elected county executive in November. In order to build that balanced budget, Braddock will work to secure “new revenue” to protect key county priorities. Braddock’s Press Secretary Amy Enbysk told The Center Square that additional revenue may come from House Bill 2015 and House Bill 5818, which are both currently awaiting Gov. Bob Ferguson’s signature. House Bill 2015 is a 0.1% sales tax option that the King County Council could enact. If approved it would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026, and could generate additional revenue for the 2026-2027 biennium in support of public safety programs. House Bill 5818 bill would extend the sales tax collection by the state to an additional list of services. If signed, it could generate additional revenue in the 2026-2027 biennium for the county’s general fund,
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