The proposed 2008 King County budget abandons the county's long-standing support for historic preservation by cutting funding for preservation and heritage support programs by 50 percent or more. It is also patently unfair to Seattle-based heritage organizations.

The Seattle Heritage Coalition, a citywide group of preservation and heritage supporters who are closely following historic preservation and heritage policy, has analyzed the 2008 budget proposal and we are shocked to find preservation funding slashed. The proposal misses an opportunity to raise the quality and quantity of heritage and preservation programming across the city and county.

The budget proposal could have taken advantage of a new historic preservation and heritage resource made available by the state Legislature. The law, called HB 1386, means that the county can spend up to $627,000 in 2008 on additional preservation and heritage programs, which are intensely important in our fast-growing city and county. Seattle heritage organizations struggling just to pay the light and phone bills were overjoyed at the prospect of stable funding that could help us better serve our schools and neighborhoods.

Traditionally, new funding sources are used to expand programs. We presumed the new budget would continue traditional funding of the county's historic preservation programs from the general fund and add the new resources to expand the program. Instead, the proposal replaces traditional funding with HB 1386 dollars.

According to our estimates, spending next year for preservation and heritage should be $1.14 million. Instead, it is $627,000, ironically the same amount allowed by the new law. Furthermore, under the proposal, Seattle gets access to only $52,500 of this money, even though the city generates a very large percentage of the revenue. These cuts are outrageous and draconian, and they violate of the spirit of the law.

We call on the county council to return to traditional funding mechanisms for historic preservation and add the HB 1386 dollars, disbursing the new resource in a rational and equitable manner that benefits all King County residents.

Joseph G. Follansbee

The Story of the Schooner Wawona

Joan Mraz

Southwest Seattle Historical Society

Mikala Woodward

Rainier Valley Historical Society

Co-Chairs, Seattle Heritage Coalition