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Legislators still have not come to agreement on operating and capital budgets, nor have they addressed key outstanding policy issues that are important to cities and towns.
Legislators still have not come to agreement on operating and capital budgets, nor have they addressed key outstanding policy issues that are important to cities and towns. If we don't talk to legislators now, last-minute deals behind closed doors could quickly and quietly sweep city revenues and programs that help cities meet community needs.
We need you to reinforce with your legislators today that they can’t leave town without protecting critical shared revenues, basic infrastructure programs, and passing the remaining bills that address pressing problems facing cities today.
If you’re not sure who your legislator is, click here to find them using the AWC Legislator directory.
Action steps
- Call or meet in-person with your legislators.
- Choose a budget and policy issue important to you, and briefly share the impacts to your community with your legislator.
- Ask your legislator to commit to advocating for your needs within their caucus – encourage them to be a City Champion!
- Share what you have heard with AWC's Victoria Lincoln or Sheila Gall, or alternatively, please complete this short survey.
Talking points
Uphold the state's partnership with all 281 cities.
- Maintain the state's longstanding public safety partnership with locals by fully funding the state's 20% share of LEOFF 2 pension contributions. Failure to do so creates a $70 M cost shift hitting all cities beginning in July 2017.
- Continue to fully fund $225 M in critical shared revenues within the operating budget.
- Fully fund marijuana mitigation funding at $30 M, shared between cities and counties.
- Provide full funding for the necessary 18 Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) classes per year.
Cities need the state to be a partner on local infrastructure. Infrastructure investments are vital to the health of the state.
- Support capital budget investments in infrastructure and human services.
- $97 M (at least) to revitalize the Public Works Trust Fund
- $35 M for the Centennial Clean Water Account
- $106.4 M for low-income housing assistance
Support the following proposals that help cities meet community needs.
- Revitalize and update the Public Works Trust Fund legislation (House-passed version of SB 5033).
- Provide new revenue options for cities, such as replacing the 1% property tax cap with one better aligned with inflation (HB 1764), and support state revenue options that also benefit cities, such as the Marketplace Fairness Act provisions in HB 2186.
- Continue and increase tools that fund homelessness assistance (HB 1570 and HB 1797).
- Pass a practical and durable solution to water management challenges facing both rural well owners and permitted municipal water providers (SB 5239).
Advocacy resources