King County Executive Dow Constantine on Monday announced a partnership with the City of Federal Way to keep the Federal Way Public Health Center open, despite declining federal and state funding.

Thanks to wage concessions by Public Health employees that will result in savings during the 2015-2016 budget, and additional funding from the City of Federal Way, the clinic there gets to stay open for at least the next two years.

Although there is no such deal for the Auburn clinic, one is reported to be on the table.

“We are working with King County on a proposal to keep the Auburn clinic open,” said Michael Hirsch, director of administration for the City of Auburn. “We are taking the executive at his word that he is serious about finding a resolution that will allow the Auburn clinic to stay open and serving not only the residents of Auburn, but of Algona and Pacific and Enumclaw.

“Eleven-thousand clients use that clinic every year,” Hirsch added. “There is a predominant need in south King County, particularly in Auburn and southeast King County, for those services, so we’re not OK with their leaving our community. We need them.”

“I am optimistic,” said King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, “that a partnership can keep Auburn’s public health doors open.”

Von Reichbauer and fellow King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove met this week with Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus before Constantine addressed the impact of budget cuts on public health centers. Backus said recently that the City is not looking not only at a partnership with King County but also at partnerships with neighboring cities and other entities to keep the clinic open.

Hirsch drew a distinction between the Federal Way clinic and the others.

“Federal Way is a different facility situation than Auburn and all the other clinics, where there is a rented facility,” said Hirsch. “King County chose to vacate its owned property and move into a lease situation, which is part of the issue they are facing at the moment. We are working on some of those concerns and finding a way to keep them here.

“… The county chose to go down the path of preserving the Federal Way clinic, and we have passed a resolution that supports the clinics of South King County remaining open, of which Federal Way is one,” Hirsch said. “But the geographic barrier of West Hill to Auburn and to our residents in southeast King County make it an impossible destination, given the recent Metro cuts and the vulnerable population that the clinics serve as a majority.

“The Federal Way clinic remaining open doesn’t answer the call or the need of the 11,000 who are being told at the moment that their services will end by the end of year,” Hirsch said.

The Metropolitan King County Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee is directing the council’s deliberation of the proposed King County budget this week.

“King County continues to face a massive budget shortfall in our general fund, which limits our ability to make wise investments that will save money in the long-run. That’s why I’m pleased the executive announced that he will lead an effort to develop a levy to make the wisest investment possible – in our kids,” said King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “I appreciate the hard choices Executive Constantine made while developing his budget. My council colleagues and I will now begin our review, continuing the executive’s efforts to ensure our government is running as efficiently as possible.”

The proposed budget introduced Monday by Constantine is King County’s first biennial budget for all county agencies, including those contained within the County General Fund. After the budget is adopted, it will be updated as needed over the two-year period.

The executive’s proposal would bring the county’s total spending in the 2015-2016 biennium to a total of $8.9 billion. The proposed budget includes a $1.5 billion general fund budget, three-quarters of which is targeted for law, justice and public safety services.

The council’s review of the county budget starts Oct. 1, when the budget committee hears from the county’s separately elected officials on their proposed budgets.