A call for action in South King County

South King County is struggling.

Poverty, poor health, high dropout rates, lack of options for transportation and parks and trails, and little opportunity for arts and culture have challenged our economic development and fractured our cities as they, often unsuccessfully, fight to compete for grants and regional funding.

If the following statistics come as a surprise, you are not alone.

Over the past several weeks, I have presented startling facts to city councils, chambers of commerce, Rotary Clubs and other groups, with responses ranging from shock to anger and frustration:

( If you are a student in South King County, you are twice as likely to drop out of school than if you live in East King County.

( South County has more than twice the number of public school students enrolled for free and reduced price lunches as Seattle, and more than three times as many as East and North King County combined.

( Twenty-one percent of the arts funding from the county's hotel/motel tax revenues comes from Tukwila and SeaTac, but in those cities there are no arts or cultural venues to reinvest those dollars back into our community.

( A South King County resident is four times more likely to die from diabetes than a resident of Mercer Island.

Even here, in one of the richest areas of the world, continuing inequity profoundly shapes local communities. Where we live shapes our access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.

We must take action now to change this. We must overcome jurisdictional differences and speak with one voice for our region.

I am meeting with cities to find ways they can partner, not compete with their neighbors, in order to capture existing tax dollars for regional transportation, parks, human services and the arts.

I have convened a workgroup to find ways we can finally connect the Green River, Interurban, and the Des Moines Creek trails in South King County.

Voters last year approved a countywide levy for parks expansion, but we must advocate for local projects being funded equitably throughout the county.

As Chair of the King County Board of Health, I am prioritizing the need to improve school nutrition by appointing a committee of elected officials, school district representatives, parents, and health experts.

Eating healthy foods and getting exercise are learned behaviors that help prevent illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, and the committee will partner with schools to improve student's eating habits at an early age.

I am writing amendments to both our transit and land use comprehensive plans that would address our public transit needs in South King County, and the impact sidewalks, parks, and walkable communities have on health and safety in our area.

Here's how you can get involved:

First, ask your city leaders to work across jurisdictional borders to compete for regional funding. We are stronger together, as one voice for the many people we represent and city boundaries are invisible to those who need services.

Second, please join me and my colleagues on the King County Council for a Town Hall meeting I'm hosting in Kent.

The Town Hall will be held on the evening of Monday, March 24, at the Kent Senior Center, and we will discuss an Equity and Social Justice Initiative aimed at promoting fairness and opportunity for all.

This summer, I will sponsor a South King County leadership summit to create a plan that will address the inequalities in our region.

Working together, we can raise the quality of life for all of us who call South King County home.

Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, is chairwoman of the King County Council.