After hearing personal testimonies from survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at four public hearings, members of the Metropolitan King County Council’s Budget Leadership Team Wednesday announced they have reprioritized funds in their 2010 budget proposal to fully restore programs that prevent violence against women and families with children at 2009 levels.

Leaders of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs praised the council’s budget team for the full restoration of funding at 2009 levels. County Executive Kurt Triplett had called for an 80 percent cut to domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, and complete elimination of funding for legal aid programs.

“You have shown the courage that victims and their families show when they speak out, you have shown that our community has the convictions to keep these critical services in place. Because of your actions we will not have to tell two families every day that we can’t help them because we don’t have the staff,” said Mary Ellen Stone, executive director of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, based in Renton.

“We also recognize this is a one-year fix. We need long-term, dedicated funding for regional community health and human services and we are committed to working with you to accomplish this,” she said.

Council members said the revised county budget they were scheduled to release Thursday will restore nearly $1.4 million in dedicated and general funds for programs for the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault, and for legal aid programs that help survivors obtain restraining orders and navigate the judicial system.

“It’s no coincidence that the three women on the budget leadership team have stood together and made a powerful case for funding domestic violence and sexual assault prevention,” said Council member Julia Patterson, who represents part of Renton.

The revised county budget was to restore nearly $1.4 million in dedicated and general funds for programs for the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault, and for legal aid programs that help survivors obtain restraining orders and navigate the judicial system.

The so-called “budget striker” was to restore:

• $764,000 in the general fund for domestic violence prevention,
• $504,000 for the prevention of sexual assault, half of which is supported by the general fund and half from the sales tax dedicated for mental illness and drug dependency programs, and
• $108,000 in the general fund for legal aid programs that support families with children.

The full County Council is set to adopt the 2010 county budget on Monday.