With more than half the legislative session completed and some deadlines approaching before the scheduled April 26 end of session, now seems like a good time for a progress report from the perspective of the Snohomish County Cities.
Snohomish County Cities, which brings together all 20 cities and towns in the county to work together on common interests, earlier set some priorities on legislation it wanted to see addressed this year. Its agenda includes some issues specific to the needs of municipalities but also more general concerns that most are hoping to see resolved, namely transportation and education funding.
The grade there, say the group’s leaders, is incomplete but encouraging.
“We’re pleased with the momentum,” said Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling, president of the cities group, noting that the state Senate was able to move a transportation package to the House relatively quickly. The package includes $570 million in projects for Snohomish County. It’s not the full $1.08 billion that the cities and Economic Alliance Snohomish County had lobbied for, but Earling said it begins to address some necessary east-west corridor improvements.
There may be opportunities in the House to boost the package with additional county projects, Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said, probably an easier prospect now rather than next year with an election looming. But the main concern now is that the transportation package isn’t delayed much longer.
Democrats in the House are using the transportation package as leverage on Republicans to win concessions on education funding and other issues. Leverage is a tactic used often by both parties in both houses. Republicans in the Senate used it in threatening public transit funding to prevent the governor from establishing a low-carbon fuels standard.
The concern, in the eyes of the cities group, is that action on the transportation package will be put off until the session’s final days when the crush of work to be done turns a good deal into “good enough.” Or worse, no deal at all.
Snohomish County Cities has concerns about funding for the state’s Public Works Trust Fund, which in the past has allowed municipalities to get loan-interest loans for pressing road maintenance work. The trust fund was emptied during the recent budget crunch and needs to be recharged and protected from future raids.
Likewise, the cities group also wants to see resolution regarding cities and counties receiving a share of the tax revenue the state receives for recreational marijuana. Mill Creek City Councilman Mike Todd, the group’s vice president, said they can accept a rule that provides revenue only to those cities allowing marijuana businesses, but they’re opposed to a plan that would offer revenue only to those with retail shops, a disadvantage to those who allow marijuana production.
Both are items that could get left behind in the crunch for time.
Earling noted the county’s legislative delegation has been meeting during the session, a practice that he and others believe, even if it doesn’t always produce consensus, has made a difference this year in moving issues along.
It’s encouraging to hear, but there’s a lot left to do.
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