Read the message from AWC President, Duvall Mayor Amy Ockerlander, asking city leaders to take urgent action on key AWC priorities.

The 2025 legislative session is at a critical point and the time is now for city leaders to take urgent action to engage on important issues that impact our 281 cities and towns. I am asking you to join me and members of the AWC Board in reaching out today to your legislators to share some key messages about policy and budget decisions before the Legislature. With our unified voice, we can make a difference for all of our communities.

Please act now to share these messages with your local legislators and ask them to relay these positions to their caucus and budget leaders. Time is running out for cities to have an impact on the important policy issues and programs at stake.

Revise the outdated cap on property tax revenues. Local elected leaders are asking for a modest update to the outdated cap. This revision creates an option to adjust local property tax revenue to better serve our communities and keep up with the rising costs of providing basic and vital services like police, fire, streets, and valued community amenities like parks. The current 1% cap creates a structural deficit in local government budgets, causing many to struggle with funding critical community needs. It also reduces the ability to respond to emerging issues and diminishes our capacity to serve our state’s growing population. Local leaders ask legislators to make this needed commonsense change. Find more details here. And share this letter of support for revising the cap, signed by over 130 city leaders representing 67 cities and towns.

Preserve the Public Works Assistance Account. Over the last 40 years, the account has awarded more than $3.6 billion in loans and grants to over 2,200 infrastructure projects in communities large and small. Additionally, the PWAA is instrumental to promoting economic development—every $1 invested from the account generates an additional $5 in economic activity. You can’t overstate the importance and success of this program in funding critical infrastructure around the state. Cities and towns call on legislators to champion the program and preserve as much funding as possible now and into the future, and to reject proposals that permanently sweep or divert funds. Find more details here. And share this letter of support for the PWAA, signed by 153 city leaders representing 106 cities and towns.

Invest in public safety. 80% of city residents surveyed from across the state said public safety and reducing crime were a priority. Cities are asking the state to help with a meaningful state investment in public safety and criminal justice programs, and to authorize additional local revenue options to provide more tools for funding public safety needs.

Partner to fund state and local transportation needs. Transportation investments, particularly local safety and preservation and maintenance needs, are top priorities for city leaders. As the Legislature wrestles with funding decisions for the state, we ask that senators and representatives ensure that cities and towns are included in any state funding that is adopted. Cities and towns ask that the Legislature maintain the traditional sharing of funds as in other gas tax proposals (at least 6%) and continue to fund critical local programs like the Transportation Improvement Board.

I’m asking every city official to take a few minutes right now to send an email or text, or make a quick call to your legislators to share these priorities. Explain why these are important to your communities and what will happen without support from the Legislature. Remind them of the value of cities and towns—we represent most of the state’s population and we are where most of the state’s employment and revenue is generated.

With the fast pace of the legislative session, time is of the essence. Don’t wait—take action today.

Together our voice is powerful and impactful. Join me in calling on the Legislature to partner with cities and town because, together, strong cities make a great state.

Sincerely,

AWC President Amy Ockerlander
Mayor, Duvall