Officials from Issaquah, Sammamish and surrounding jurisdictions have been invited to meet with King County budget leaders at a meeting today in Issaquah.

With what is now projected to be a $90 million shortfall in the general fund for 2009, the budget leadership team of the Metropolitan King County Council has scheduled special meetings with local city officials to start a new conversation on how to minimize the impacts on local jurisdictions. The special meetings will be held just before each of the Council’s five evening public hearings on the 2009 King County Budget.

According to county officials, the goal of the special meetings is to have frank, open discussions with elected officials representing communities near the five cities – Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Shoreline and Seattle — where the council will be holding public hearings on the budget.

The meetings will be held in the same locations where the five evening public hearings are now scheduled:

• Today, Tuesday, October 14 – Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus Staff Lounge, 24635 S.E. Issaquah-Fall City Road, Issaquah

• Thursday, Oct. 16 – Maleng Regional Justice Center Jury Room, 2E (2nd Floor), 401 4th Ave. N., Kent

• Tuesday, Oct. 21 – Finn Hill Junior High School Library, 8040 N.E. 132nd St., Kirkland

• Thursday, Oct. 23 – Shoreline Conference Center, Arden Room, 18560 1st Ave. N.E., Shoreline

• Tuesday, Oct. 28 – Southwest Conference Room, 12th Floor King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Seattle