The Metropolitan King County Council has unanimously selected Councilmember Julia Patterson of SeaTac to serve as chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee and to lead the Council's 2011 budget deliberations.

The Budget and Fiscal Management Committee maintains oversight of the current year's budget, and is the lead decision-making body during the adoption of the 2011 budget.

"As a member of the Budget Leadership Team during last year's budget process, I witnessed first-hand the significant threats the County is faced with due to a shortfall between revenue and expenses," said Patterson. "I look forward to leading the effort to address this structural gap and minimize the painful cuts that we will undeniably face again in 2011."

Along with chairing the Budget Committee, Councilmember Patterson was appointed to her fifth term as chair of the King County Board of Health.

The Board of Health sets county-wide public health policy, enacts and enforces local public health regulations including preventing and controlling the spread of infectious disease, and establishing fee schedules for licenses, permits and other services.

Councilmember Patterson's leadership on the Board has been instrumental in a number of health-related initiatives including legislation in 2007 to require nutritional menu labeling and the elimination of trans fat in all County restaurants, and implementation of the County's first health care reform initiative in 2009.

Councilmember Patterson was first elected to the Council in 2001. She was elected Council Chair in 2008 and was Chair of the Council's Committee of the Whole in 2007. Now entering her third term on the County Council, Patterson will serve on more than 17 outside committees.