On Aug. 18, the Auburn City Council authorized Mayor Nancy Backus to execute an amendment to the interlocal agreement between King County District Court and the City of Auburn for provision of district court services.

While the current interlocal agreement is set to terminate on Dec. 31, 2026, with final billing for probation services anticipated by June 2027, the amended interlocal agreement incorporates updates to probation services through the remainder of the agreement term, “to ensure continued, uninterrupted probation services to the community.”

The court’s partners, including Auburn, will be charged for their use of probation services through King County via an annual reconciliation process, with invoices issued by June of the following year. The new interlocal agreement likewise provides for periodic review by all concerned parties.

The resolution takes effect and will be in full force not only upon passage, but when it has been signed by the city and county.

History

In 2012, the City of Auburn entered into its initial interlocal agreement with King County for district court services. Before that, the city operated its own municipal court. The present version of the interlocal agreement that is being amended became effective as of Jan. 2022 for an initial term of five years.

But at the District Court Management Review Committee (DCMRC) meeting on March 6, 2025, King County District Court informed its city partners that it had its own money problems and intended to move forward with a full-cost recovery model court services, which would require the cities to pay more for probation services.

This was unwelcome news.

So on May 8, Auburn notified the county in writing that it wished to terminate the current interlocal agreement, effective as of its termination date.

Auburn’s argument for taking this action was that uninterrupted probation services throughout the term of the interlocal agreement would be necessary to uphold the integrity and effectiveness of community supervision efforts. Subsequently, the county finalized an amendment to incorporate updates to probation services.