For years, spending by the King County (Seattle, Washington) corrections department consumed a growing share of the county operating budget, and the department accrued a backlog of needed capital investments. At the same time, there was a history of mistrust between the county council and department management, which centered on whether the department's budget requests were fully justified and whether the department was operating as efficiently as possible. The department was frustrated that its efforts at efficiency were going unrecognized. It was also concerned that it had suffered budget cuts that could not be sustained and that essential capital projects continued to be unfunded. This chapter describes the experience of King County Auditor's Office in providing practical solutions to a long-term problem involving county jails. (Contains 1 figure.)