King County, faced with a $15 million dollar annual budget deficit, is proposing to close the Auburn Health Clinic and its sister clinic in Federal Way in 2015.

On Sept. 2, the City of Auburn added its voice to the chorus of those adamantly opposed to the potential closure of the Public Health clinics. Also under the sword, clinics in Bothell and White Center. The City of Federal Way has also passed a resolution opposing the closures.

In official terms, the City Council passed a resolution, without demur.

In plainer terms, one councilmember explained why the idea is such a stinker.

“Ten thousand of the citizens in our community of 74,000 last year accessed the Public Health Department, and it’s imperative that we not close it,” said Councilmember Largo Wales.

“I work with the schools, I see our kids,” Wales continued. “This is where many of our young moms get their first assistance, and a lot of our disadvantaged kids get their health care. We are a community that has dedicated itself to the concept of early learning. You can’t teach kids and have them grow to be productive people if they can’t get minimum health care.”

People who depend on the services they receive at clinics in Auburn and Federal Way, overwhelmingly low-income people of color with no medical insurance, would be left with few options but to make their way to one of the two nearest remaining health clinics in Kent, or the one in Renton, according to the resolution.

Auburn City Attorney Dan Heid noted that Auburn is the 15th largest city in the state, and clients who depend on the health clinic and rely on public transportation would be hard pressed to get to Kent or Renton to use those services, given the cuts King County Metro is planning to its bus services, among them the elimination and reduction of some routes between Auburn and Kent.

According to the resolution, Auburn commits significant resources every year to provide safety-net services and programs to help lift people out of poverty, especially families with small children. The City leverages its human services efforts by partnering with social services organizations like the Auburn Food Bank, Auburn Youth Resources and Valley Cities.

In 2013, according to the resolution, the Auburn clinic served 3,000 clients with Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Management for low-income pregnant women and some infants through their first year of life. In 2013, it served 5,700 clients with Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition services for low-income pregnant women and children five years of age and younger.

Closing the Auburn clinic, according to the resolution, would eliminate 33 full-time equivalent jobs.

Finally, the resolution notes that, by closing the clinics, King County would be breaking one of the four guiding principles in its 2007 King County Public Health Operational Master Plan, which states as follows: “Driven by social justice … public health will be a voice for the needs of the weak, the poor, minorities and the disenfranchised.”

“Happy to say that passes,” Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus said after the 7-0 vote.

“Strongly,” Heid added.

“Strongly passes,” Backus corrected.