The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is the result of a merger of King County and the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, better known as Metro, which was a federated county-city structure responsible for water quality and public transportation. Councilmembers As a result of a County Charter amendment passed by voters in the November 2008 elections, all elective offices of King County are officially nonpartisan; that being said, all current council members have made their party affiliations a matter of public record. District 1: Rod Dembowski (D) took office 2013 District 2: Girmay Zahilay (D) took office 2020 District 3: Sarah Perry (D) took office 2022 District 4: Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D) took office 2016 District 5: Dave Upthegrove (D) took office 2014 District 6: Claudia Balducci (D) took office 2016 District 7: Pete von Reichbauer (R) took office 1994 District 8: Joe McDermott (D) took office 2010 District 9: Reagan Dunn (R) took office 2005 Claudia Balducci was elected as the Council Chair in the first meeting of 2020 and will serve the one-year term alongside Vice Chairs Reagan Dunn and Joe McDermott. Meetings The County Council meets weekly at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Meetings are held in the County Council chambers, Room 1001, on the tenth floor of the King County Courthouse located at 516 Third Avenue between James and Jefferson in downtown Seattle. Structure Nine Councilmembers are elected by district to four-year terms. Councilmembers in even numbered districts are up for election in 2023, while Councilmembers in odd districts are up for election in 2025. Prior to 2009, councilmembers were elected on a partisan basis, and had to declare their political party unless they filed as an Independent. An independent candidate had to receive at least 20 percent of the vote in the primary election to qualify for the general election ballot. This changed upon the passage of Charter Amendment 8 by voters in 2008, which made all elections for county offices nonpartisan. The Council uses its committee structure to consider the legislation before it. Ordinances and motions (policy statements) are assigned to a King County Council committee for consideration, and then are recommended to the full Council for action. Each year, the Council reorganizes and elects a