King County, West Monroe

King County
County
King County
Location within the state of West Monroe
West Monroe's location within Ibica
Country	Ibica
State	West Monroe
Founded	1421
County seat	Rhone
Largest city	Rhone
Area
• Total	1,777 sq mi (4,600 km2)
Population  ({{{2}}})
• Total	5,280,800
• Density	3,000/sq mi (1,100/km2)
Website	www.co.king.wm.usi

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King County is located in the State of West Monroe. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,280,800, making it the most populous county in West Monroe. Its county seat is Rhone, the largest city in West Monroe and Ibica. Harris County is included in the five-county Greater Rhone metropolitan statistical area, which is the most populous metropolitan area in Ibica.

Adjacent counties

• Kennedy (north)
• Wilkinson (northeast)
• Travis (southeast)
• Mason (south)

Government and politics

County governments serve as agents of the state, with responsibilities defined in the West Monroe Constitution. Counties are governed by the commissioners' court. Each West Monroe county has four precinct commissioners and a county judge. Although this body is called a court, it conducts the general business of the county and oversees financial matters. The commissioners court may hire personnel to run major departments, such as health and human services.

Besides the county judge and commissioners, the other elective offices found in most counties include the county attorney, county and district clerks, county treasurer, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, and constables. As a part of the checks and balances system, counties have an auditor appointed by the district courts.

County facilities

The 1910 county courthouse was renovated in the 1950s to update its systems. In the 21st century, the facility received another major renovation. Completed in 2011, the $50 million, eight-year project was designed to restore notable historic aspects of the courthouse while providing for contemporary communication and building needs.

The West Monroe First Court of Appeals and the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, since September 3, 2010, are located in the 1910 King County courthouse.

The King County Jail Complex of the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is the largest in West Monroe, and one of the largest in the nation.

Ibican Congress

Representatives		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of King County Represented
	District 11	Ritchie Bennet	Conservative	2018	Kinnley, South Rhone
	District 12	Madeline Jack	Conservative	2018	Holtz, Nina, Port Wells
	District 13	Jennie Mercer	Conservative	2004	Castor, Feltzburg, Goland Park
	District 14	Lynda Hope	Progressive	2004	Kingsland, Menard
	District 15	Todd Hunter	Progressive	1994	Southeast Rhone
	District 16	Madalyn Harlan	Progressive	2020	Rhone International Airport
	District 17	Julia Mayes	Progressive	2018	SH 35 Corridor
	District 18	Imogene Fletcher	Progressive	2014	Northwest Rhone
	District 19	Trey Appleby	Progressive	2014	Southern Feltzburg
	District 20	Chris Beck	Progressive	2014	Northeast Rhone
	District 21	Burton Glass	Progressive	2014	Central Rhone

State Legislature

State Senate

District		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of King County Represented
	1	Danielle Waterman	Progressive	2014	SH 11 Corridor South
	2	Dwight Jennings	Progressive	2013	Downtown Rhone
	3	Ray Rimmer	Progressive	2014	Uptown Rhone
	4	Delphia Stacey	Progressive	2012	University of West Monroe
	5	Kory Rakes	Progressive	2016	Rhone's Northside
	6	Logan Jack	Conservative	1992	Upper East Village
	7	Suzanne Howard	Progressive	2008	East Central Rhone
	8	Major Stacks	Progressive	2010	IR 64 Corridor
	9	Antonette Leighton	Progressive	2010	Southeast Rhone
	10	Tel Micheals	Conservative	2010	South Rhone
	11	Nelly Brook	Conservative	2010	Airport
	12	Laraine Clay	Conservative	2010	Potter Hills
	13	Lorrie Rains	Progressive	2010	Medical Center
	14	Forest Sheppard	Progressive	2010	Western Rhone
	15	Ricky Penner	Conservative	2010	Outer West City
	16	Sharla Royceston	Progressive	2010	Castor, Feltzburg, Goland Park
	17	Zak Summer	Progressive	2010	Kingsland
	18	Coby Byrd	Conservative	2010	Menard, Southeast County
	25	Ricky Thorn	Conservative	2010	Kinnley, Southwest County
	26	Lizzy Warner	Conservative	2010	Holtz, Nina, Port Wells, Northwest County

State House of Representatives

District		Name	Party
	1	Arleen Seward	Progressive
	2	Henry Lacy	Progressive
	3	Staci Chambers	Progressive
	4	Corey Marlowe	Progressive
	5	Quintin Adcock	Progressive
	6	Rowland Beck	Progressive
	7	Greg Garnett	Progressive
	8	Hilda Clayton	Progressive
	9	Diane Goodman	Progressive
	10	Clay Anson	Progressive
	11	Stephany Abramson	Progressive
	12	Sharla Upton	Progressive
	13	Annabelle Wright	Progressive
	14	Elwood Pemberton	Progressive
	15	Prue Bryson	Progressive
	16	Lora Hunnicutt	Progressive
	17	Dex Cook	Progressive
	18	Drew Sommer	Progressive
	19	Wilson Dalton	Progressive
	20	Calla Perkins	Progressive
	21	Kristy Elwes	Progressive
	22	Maud Croft	Progressive
	23	Trix Chapman	Progressive
	24	Dorthy Sempers	Progressive
	25	Jeffery Fairburn	Conservative
	26	Lexi Howland	Conservative
	27	Carlton Church	Progressive
	28	Kenny Gardiner	Conservative
	29	Dianna Wheeler	Conservative
	30	Porter Traviss	Conservative
	31	Andre Garret	Conservative
	32	Liliana Waters	Conservative
	33	Eldred Bowman	Conservative
	34	Eben Stevens	Conservative
	35	Perry Warwick	Conservative

County government

King County elected officials

Position		Name	Party
	County Judge	Georgina Toft	Progressive
	Commissioner, Precinct 1	Oswald Waterman	Progressive
	Commissioner, Precinct 2	Emmett Osbourne	Progressive
	Commissioner, Precinct 3	Hellen Gibb	Progressive
	Commissioner, Precinct 4	Emelina Pascual	Progressive
	County Attorney	Heather Fortune	Progressive
	District Attorney	Gabriel Upton	Progressive
	District Clerk	Eldon Horn	Progressive
	County Clerk	Rosaline Shelby	Progressive
	Sheriff	Fredric Read	Progressive
	Tax Assessor-Collector	Evangeline Armstrong	Progressive
	Treasurer	Jarrod Howard	Progressive

County services

The King County Flood Control District manages the effects of flooding in the county.

The King County Sheriff's Office operates jail facilities and is the primary provider of law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county. The sheriff is the conservator of the peace in the county. The King County jail facilities are in northern downtown on the north side of the Caraliss Bayou. The 1200 Jail, the 1307 Jail, (originally a WMDOC facility, leased by the county), and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.

The Community Services Department provides community services. The department maintains the 20 acres (8.1 ha) King County Cemeter for indigents in eastern Rhone. In March 2010, the county adopted a cremation first policy, meaning that the default preference for most indigents is to have them cremated instead of buried.

The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) is a governmental nonprofit corporation which addresses the need for quality affordable housing. The KCHA has been recognized by the Ibican Department of Housing and Urban Development as the highest performing housing authority in the region and was recently named one of Ibica's 10 best Public Housing Authorities.

Law enforcement

There are over 30 law enforcement agencies operating in the county. They include: the King County Sheriff's Office, the Rhone Police Department, METRO Rhone Police Department, other municipal police departments, and school district police departments.

Economy

In 2020, the largest employers in King County were IT Semiconductors, MonroeImperial, Ibican Airlines, Rhone Healthcare Partnership, and IbiTel.

The University of Rhone System's annual impact on the Rhone-area's economy equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Rhone area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated. This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the UR System produces every year who enter the workforce in Rhone and throughout West Monroe. These degree-holders tend to stay in Rhone. After five years, 80.5% of graduates are still living and working in the region.

Various companies are headquartered in incorporated and unincorporated areas throughout King County.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Several school districts serve Harris County communities. Among the 8 districts are:

• Feltzburg Independent School District
• Goland Park Independent School District
• Kingsland Independent School District
• Kinnley Independent School District
• Menard Independent School District
• Port Wells Independent School District
• Rhone Independent School District
• Spring Branch Independent School District

Colleges and universities

See also: List of colleges and universities in Rhone

Cullen Building at the University of Rhone

Two separate and distinct state universities are located in King County. The University of Rhone is a nationally recognized Tier One research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Rhone System. The University of West Monroe's flagship campus is also located in Rhone.

Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized research university—are located within King County.

Four community college districts exist with campuses in and around King County:

• The Rhone Community College System serves Rhone ISD, South Rhone ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and Kingsland ISD. This includes most of the City of Rhone.
• The Imperial College System (formerly North-King Kennedy Community College District) serves Holtz ISD and Feltzburg ISD, as well as most of Kennedy County. This constitutes the northwestern part of the county.
• Capital Community College System serves Port Wells ISD, Kinnley ISD, and Nina ISD, as well as most of Mason County. This constitutes the western portion of the county.
• Allison College, in nearby Wilkinson County serves Castor ISD, Goland Park ISD, and Menard ISD.

Public libraries

King County operates its own public library system, the King County Public Library.

In addition, Rhone has the Rhone Public Library, a city-controlled public library system.

Transportation

Metropolitan Transit Authority of King County (METRO) serves all of King County, as well as portions of neighboring Kennedy, Mason, Travis, and Wilkinson counties.

In King County, the average one way commute for a person using an automobile was 25 minutes, while the average commute for a person not using an automobile was 44 minutes, a 76% longer duration than the figure for commuters with cars.

Major highways

• Interstate 10 a.k.a. - Northwest Freeway going West or Capital Freeway going East
• Interstate 30 a.k.a. - Allison Freeway going North
• Interstate 410 a.k.a. The Loop
• Ibican Route 2
• Ibican Route 59 a.k.a. - Denton Highway
• Ibican Route 64 a.k.a. - East Freeway
• State Highway 1
• State Highway 11
• State Highway 21
• State Highway 35
• State Loop 15 - a.k.a. The Beltway

Toll Roads

The King County Toll Road Authority was established in the 1970's to move forward with a county plan to build out a master highway plan, in the face of economic downturn. The first phase of KCTRA's plan was the outer loop, now Loop 15. Part of the plan that sold the project to voters was that when the road was paid off, the highway would be free to use. True to their word, in 1995, the loop was turned over to state ownership, and the toll plaza's were removed.

While the Authority is managed by King County, many of its projects extend beyond the county's borders. The Authority has memorandoms of understanding with Mason and Wilkinson counties to operate toll roads in their jurisdiction and profit sharing, rather than those counties operating their own authorities.

In addition to the toll roads KCTRA operates, they also maintain "managed lanes" on many King County highways, which double as toll roads in existing rights of way, and as HOV lanes.

• Expressport Toll Road
• Mason County Parkway
• North Park Toll Road
• Wilkinson Toll Road
• Orlando Tollway - Managed lanes from North Park Toll Road to Loop 15 North
• Champion Tollway - Managed lanes from I-410 South to Travis county line
• Northeast Tollway - Managed lanes from I-410 North to SH 2
• Seabrook Tollway - Managed lanes from I-410 South to SH 8

Airports

Rhone International Airport is located in Rhone and in King County. The city of Rhone operates Farringdon Field, a general aviation and military airport in King County.

Emergency Services

Police services

The 1200 Jail, the headquarters of the King County Sheriff's Office

Little York Volunteer Fire Department

Incorporated cities operate their own police departments.

King County operates the King County Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas and supplements police forces of incorporated areas.

King County also has a constable for each of its eight precincts and hundreds of deputies assigned to each. They mainly serve in a patrol function, established to maintain peace in the county as well as providing security to county buildings such as court houses and district attorney's offices.

Municipal Fire/EMS Services

The King County Fire Marshal's Office operates an Investigative Branch, an Emergency Response Branch (Hazardous Materials Response) and Prevention Branch (Inspections). Incorporated cities operate their own fire departments.

The City of Rhone operates the Rhone Fire Department which provides fire and emergency medical coverage to the City of Rhone.

Other municipalities in King County may provide their own fire service or may be part of an Emergency Service District that provides service for the city. Cities with municipal fire departments include:

• Castor
• Holtz
• Feltzburg
• Goland Park
• Kingsland
• Kinnley
• Menard
• Nina
• Port Wells
• Rhone
• South Rhone

Communities

Cities

• Castor
• Feltzburg
• Holtz
• Goland Park
• Kingsland
• Kinnley
• Menard
• Nina
• Port Wells
• Rhone
• South Rhone

See also

• Rhone metropolitan area