After nearly 30 years of public service, King County Executive Dow Constantine delivered his final State of the County address, highlighting the significant strides in transportation and conservation achieved under his leadership. As reported by The Seattle Times, Constantine noted the expansion of dozens of miles of new light rail, the preservation of thousands of acres of wilderness, and the creation of new affordable housing and mental health facilities as some of the key accomplishments during his tenure.

However, Constantine's address also underscored the grave challenges ahead, specifically pointing out a "dire budgetary situation" and "massive income inequality." He also warned of "the aggressive sabotage of America’s democratic institutions," as noted by The Seattle Times. Yet, the executive remains optimistic that the state legislator could potentially step in to mitigate impending severe budget cuts, as disclosed in a statement obtained by KING 5 News. Constantine said, "Unless we get help from the legislator as the next biennial budget is prepared over the next coming months, there will be tough and harmful choices."

These tough choices refer to significant potential cuts to vital county services. The county jail might need to reduce costs by $7 million, the prosecutor's office and superior court could see reductions exceeding $15 million, while the sheriff's office faces a potential $30 million decrement. Such budgetary contractions would likely result in staff reductions and cutbacks in services. Given these challenges, the outgoing executive voiced his expectation that state lawmakers would intercede.

Transitioning from county service, Constantine has been chosen by Sound Transit as their next CEO, a move that has not escaped controversy. As per KOMO News, Sound Transit's selection process was kept under wraps, with no information disclosed about other finalists. Critics point to Constantine's former role as Sound Transit Board chair, and his responsibility in appointing half the board members, raising questions about the transparency of his appointment to a position that could more than double his county executive salary of $650,000.