Thirteen King County mayors met in Kent to discuss drug addiction and chronic homelessness at a gathering organized by the nonprofit Battlefield Addiction.
At the two-hour event at Kent-Meridian High School, each mayor described conditions in their community and offered views on how the county reached its current difficulties. Families, community members and state representatives also attended.
Several mayors said a 2023 legislative change that made drug possession a gross misdemeanor rather than a felony had worsened the crisis. Kent Mayor Dana Ralph said too few people were choosing treatment, while Normandy Park Mayor Eric Zimmerman criticized Washington’s housing-first approach to homelessness. The gathering also included discussion of a possible increase in charges related to fentanyl.
Organizer Art Dahlen said the event’s appeal to Gov. Bob Ferguson was a call for help from Olympia, not a criticism of the governor.
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