Within the aftermath of a damning Aug. 26 audit of King County spending, the dialog within the govt’s race rightfully has turned to accountability and defending taxpayer investments.
However to know one of the best ways ahead, it’s important to understand how we obtained right here. And which means recognizing the position of King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn.
It was Dunn who doggedly pursued solutions to lingering questions in regards to the county’s observe of forking over cash to contractors for varied social companies with out clear steering or confidence that the {dollars} are effectively spent.
The King County Auditor decided that grant funding from the county’s Division of Neighborhood and Human Providers ballooned from $922 million in 2019-2020 to $1.8 billion in 2023-2024.
Together with that development, the auditor found improper funds, together with potential fraud, throughout a number of contracts.
That basic conclusion has not modified after a former DCHS worker identified a mistake within the auditor’s unique report. The auditor said incorrectly that DCHS awarded $22 million in 2019-2020, when it was rather more.
What’s noteworthy right here is that this: The auditor despatched a draft copy of the report back to the Govt’s Workplace for overview earlier than going public.
On Aug. 19, Dwight Dively, director of the Workplace of Efficiency, Technique and Price range, thanked the auditor for the chance to look it over and famous all of the work DCHS had completed.
“These efforts to supply monetary and different useful resource help to neighborhood suppliers and contractors weren’t effectively balanced with our price of Accountable Stewardship,” wrote Dively.
Nowhere in Dively’s letter was there any suggestion that the auditor had any of its monetary figures improper — which serves to underline issues that the chief department doesn’t know the way a lot cash it’s spending.
That makes Dunn’s contributions all of the extra priceless.
The truth that Dunn is a Republican on the ostensibly nonpartisan Metropolitan King County Council dominated by Democrats supplied him with the power to ask exhausting questions, he mentioned.
“You bought to have anyone who doesn’t have the identical base constituency, who has the liberty politically to carry this up,” mentioned Dunn in an interview.
However Dunn wanted the assistance of presidency auditors. And that very important course of might have been smoother.
In 2023, Dunn wrote to the state auditor requesting a overview of a DCHS youth justice program referred to as Restorative Neighborhood Pathways.
Troubled by “reviews of economic fraud, lack of efficiency metrics, and gravely worrying anecdotes,” Dunn requested a proper state audit.
Washington’s State Auditor Pat McCarthy begged off — contending there wasn’t sufficient information to judge.
Undeterred, Dunn turned to King County Auditor Kymber Waltmunson in 2024. An audit request of RCP was formally adopted by council in 2025. Throughout the planning course of, the audit expanded to incorporate different DCHS work past RCP.
“It took me years simply to get the audit. It’s an issue,” mentioned Dunn. “The aim (of King County grants) needs to be to have an effect on the outcomes of individuals residing and dealing in King County, to not profit or line the pockets or create a jobs program for our grantees.”
Lawmakers keen to ask exhausting questions and tackle standard knowledge. Auditors who roll up their sleeves and observe the cash. These are key parts to environment friendly, clear authorities.
Each contenders for King County govt — councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay — co-sponsored Dunn’s laws to require DCHS to conduct annual threat assessments on high of its different contract administration duties.
Each Balducci and Zahilay offered plans to extend accountability within the aftermath of the audit.
The brand new govt will take workplace as quickly because the November election is licensed. By then, the audit should not be a distant reminiscence however stay a clarion name to do higher.
