That power stems from the fact that the county executive sits on the agency’s governing board and appoints 9 of the 17 other members from the ranks of local politicians to staggered four-year terms overseeing a $4.4 billion budget and 1,600 employees.
The county executive also wields ultimate control over Metro Transit, which not only operates light rail, but often deletes or changes bus lines around new train stations.
Those responsibilities matter more than ever, as new estimates show another $35 billion is needed to build, operate and modernize train and bus corridors in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. That brings the 30-year total to $185 billion through 2046, plus debt afterward.