With a name like Port of Seattle, many Redmond residents may wonder why they pay a property tax for a government entity that does not serve them.

While the port does play a significant role in the Emerald City, its jurisdiction extends to cover the greater King County area, including Redmond.

On Tuesday, Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton explained the organization’s local significance to Redmond City Council during its study session meeting, held in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Tarleton, who was elected commissioner in 2007, said the port supports a diverse range of industries, from tourism and commercial fishing to manufacturing and high-end electronics. The port’s involvement in high-end electronics is one of the industries that affects Redmond the most as the port provides much support for many of the tech companies in the area.

She added that the port, which owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, plays a key role in international trade for the Pacific Northwest because no company that passes through — whether by land, air or sea — is focused solely on the domestic market.

“They look out and they rarely look in,” she said.

Tarleton said the the port’s current agenda is to cope with the affects of the economic recession. After conducting a number of studies, port officials learned that jobs in the maritime and aerospace industries showed extraordinary stability compared to those in other industries.

With these findings, Tarleton told the council the port is especially important as it is an economic engine for all of King County. The port’s properties throughout the region are home to businesses that employ about 149,000 people in various industries including fishing, welding and information technology.

“(These jobs) are the basis of the freight-based economy…and they’re still there,” Tarleton said.

In 2011, the port is celebrating its 100-year anniversary and officials are looking at what they can do to help economic growth for years to come. Tarleton said to help them get a better picture of what the county’s needs are, they are holding six public roundtable discussions throughout the year.

Port officials have also been looking at Redmond as a model because Tarleton said people in this area put themselves in the position to see the “next big thing” and companies have emerged out of these opportunities.

She said in looking at all the cities in the port’s jurisdiction, Redmond is No. 1 when it comes to average annual salary with about $92,400; the difference between Redmond and the cities at the bottom of this list is more than $65,000. Redmond is also in the top 25 percent in the total number of jobs.

Because each city is different and the needs and opportunities are different, Tarleton said the port is focusing on what they have in common, which will help them reach their goal of coping with the down economy.

“Our people are counting on us to give them the opportunity to find a decent job,” she said.

Tarleton said one of the big upcoming tasks for the port is cleaning up the lower Duwamish River, which is a shared water way near downtown Seattle. The project will be a joint effort among various entities including the City of Seattle and King County and will cost anywhere between $200 million and $1.2 billion.

And while it won’t come cheap, Tarleton said it needs to be done and done soon ‚Äî by 2013.

“We have to do it,” she said. “It is the core of the industrial water. It’s a working river.”