
February 10, 2025 Sending our love to cities This week, we celebrate Valentine’s Day with some love for cities from the Legislature in the form of bills to help cities with critical funding needs. They will be considering a bill to revise the property tax cap and a variety of bills to provide more options for using real estate excise tax (REET) funds on priorities like infrastructure funding and affordable housing. We know that it can be easy to think that the Legislature doesn’t care about what is important to cities, particularly when you see some proposals that increase costs and impede community-based decision-making, but legislators do care about their cities, and they do listen to city officials. This week, make a point of reaching out to your legislators to send them a note of appreciation for their service and remind them of what is important to your communities. Make it easier for them to show your city some love. As always, an easy way to keep up to date on the bills we love, and those we don’t, is the weekly AWC weekly Bill Hot Sheet. Please feel free to use this when you reach out to your legislators. Your AWC Government Relations team is looking forward to seeing over 300 city officials in Olympia next week for City Action Days. It will be a great opportunity for us to share the latest legislative happenings and hear from all of you. If you haven’t yet registered, there’s still time! Happy Valentine’s Day, Candice Bock Government Relations Director This year’s road usage charge bill introduced, assumes city gas tax distribution formula HB 1921 establishes a new transportation revenue source for the state based on “motor vehicle use of public roadways.” It imposes a 2.6 cents per mile fee, phasing in the program over time and beginning with voluntary participation. Revenues generated by the RUC must be used by the state for preservation and maintenance highway purposes. In good news for cities, the bill maintains the same distribution formulas of the state motor vehicle fuel tax, meaning cities and towns will receive 6% of RUC revenues. Sign in support of the bill. More AWC legislative priority to revise the arbitrary property tax cap gets time in the spotlight HB 1334 is an AWC priority bill that aims to change the local 1% property tax limit to better match fluctuations in population and inflation, but not to exceed 3%. It has a fiscal committee hearing on February 11 at 8 am. We encourage city officials to sign-in as “pro” for the legislative record to show your support. Find more information, materials, and talking points to help show your support for the bill. More Amended parking preemption bill passes out of Senate committee SB 5184 made two substantive changes, but the gist of the bill is still intact. For those familiar with the “tragedy of the commons” concept, this bill will be a case study—when everyone is responsible for a public good (parking, in this case), no one is responsible for it (developers, in this case). Anyone who has lived with housemates knows the inevitable result—a mess. More Multiple helpful REET proposals unveiled An exciting trio of new proposals providing cities flexibility with the use of real estate excise tax (REET) funds have been introduced. Rep. Dave Paul (D–Oak Harbor) has sponsored HB 1791, which proposes multiple changes long-desired by cities, in addition to two other House bills—all of which support funding affordable housing. All three will be heard in the same committee this week. More Want the latest on all the legislative action? Join AWC’s City Action Call this Friday For city members only During the legislative session, AWC hosts City Actions Calls every Friday at 12:30 pm. In these meetings, AWC lobbyists provide legislative updates and city officials have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. The calls occur every Friday during the legislative session. You’ll need to register each week. Why do cities support a revised property tax cap? You’ve no doubt heard about AWC working with cities to revise the local 1% property tax cap. But why is this change so important to cities, and how can you explain the issue to your legislators and constituents? Watch our new explainer video that dives into the issue and examines why cities need this vital funding option now. AWC is joined by a large coalition of local government associations, labor organizations, and individual cities and counties in advocating to revise the outdated property tax cap. Read the coalition’s summary outlining their support and reach out to us if you’d like to join in. The Public Works Assistance Account: At risk again In this short video, AWC Deputy Director of Government Relations Carl Schroeder talks about why the PWAA is so important to city infrastructure projects and provides key data and talking points city leaders can use to ask legislators to protect this vital source of city funding. Without concentrated efforts from local elected officials, the Legislature is likely to sweep these funds to fill budget shortfalls. Find out how to help. Visit AWC’s bill tracker for easy access to the bills you’re most interested in and to filter by the information you’re looking for, whether it’s a brief description of a bill, the status of bills you’re tracking, or AWC’s comprehensive coverage. Tip: Don't forget to bookmark the tracker and check it regularly for the latest updates. This week’s bill highlights: Affordable housing Now we’re talking—a financial incentive to build affordable housing! (SB 5591) More Prescriptive GMA bill passes out of committee with changes (HB 1183) More Legislature continues to amend design review statute (HB 1160) More Companion bills on mobile dwellings continue to advance (HB 1443/SB 5332) More Yet another transit-oriented development bill…but with a new focus (SB 5604 & HB 1491) More Budget & finance County treasurer cost recovery bill hits city taxpayers twice (HB 1042) More Energy Cities “encouraged” to develop, allow small-scale energy projects under new legislation (HB 1847) More General government Voting access in jails bill passes committee with amendments (HB 1446) More Museums could see more available county funding (HB 1658) More Homelessness Bill to follow Oregon on regulating public camping at the state level (HB 1380) More HR & labor relations Bill to expand presumptive PTSD claims to corrections workers now includes cities (HB 1070) More Bargaining over AI use would have major impacts on city operations (HB 1622/SB 5422) More Police grievance arbitration bill up for action this week (SB 5473) More Technology for employee monitoring and employment decisions may be curtailed by new bill (HB 1672) More Plan to reorganize how bargaining units are formed also impacts ability to settle grievances (SB 5503) More Human services Bill establishes clear definition of “co-response” in state law (HB 1811) More State-funded training could help train EMTs for behavioral health calls (HB 1809) More Open government Limited PRA exemption would protect local government email lists from exploitation (HB 1765/SB 5707) More Pensions City employees to get choice between PERS plans under new proposal (HB 1642) More Public safety & criminal justice AWC testifies in strong support of priority bill to increase public safety funding (HB 1428) More Law enforcement leadership bill gets amended with impacts to public safety volunteers (HB 1399) More Unlawful firearm possession for violent offenders bill intends to address gun violence (HB 1139) More Bill limiting traffic stops could impact car tab fees paid (HB 1512) More AG’s police department investigations bills are on the move—make your city’s voice heard (HB 1056/SB 5066) More Public works & infrastructure Washington, Oregon lumber prioritized for state-funded public works projects under new proposal (HB 1726) More Transportation “Shared use paths,” roundabouts, and Complete Streets policy affected by proposed active transportation updates (SB 5581) More Proposed “shared streets” designation allows pedestrians, cyclists, and cars to share roadways (SB 5595) More Share cities’ budget priorities with your legislators. Read AWC’s letter to budget leaders in the House and Senate outlining cities’ budget priorities and share the priorities with your legislators. While it is early in the budget process, we already know the state’s funding gap will make this a challenging budget year, and decisions about budget priorities are under negotiation now. More Grants for local public records management are now open through the Washington State Archives. Learn about the types of grants available, access helpful resources, and apply by February 28. More As federal agencies release guidance on federal funding, there is more clarity and more uncertainty, but court orders put actions on hold. As federal agencies have continued to release guidance on interpreting executive orders related to their programs and grant funding, the Department of Justice guidance memo focused on law enforcement funding and sanctuary jurisdictions. AWC and the PSRC held a briefing with timely information and suggestions on what cities can do now to prepare for potential impacts of changes to federal funding priorities. More Last chance to register for City Action Days February 19-20 \| Lacey Don’t miss out on City Action Days next week. This popular event for city officials includes updates on city legislative priorities, insider panels, and intel on the latest legislative hot topics. The conference involves a “hill climb,” where attendees are encouraged to meet with legislators to discuss city priorities at the state Capitol. Register now! Make your voice heard: Sign in on bills Testifying on a bill and meeting with your legislators are important and effective ways to engage in the legislative process, but not the only way. Another great option, particularly if you are short on time, is to sign in and note your position on a bill. This week, we have some important bills up for committee hearings. There isn’t time for everyone to testify, so a great option is to sign in and note your position for the record and/or submit written testimony. Both are great options for engaging and making your voice heard. For more about how to sign in, you can visit the legislative website. Some bills to sign in and indicate your support for are HB 1334 (revising the property tax cap) and HB 1791 (creating more flexibility for REET funds). Want the latest on all the legislative action? Join AWC’s City Action Call this Friday (city members only) During the legislative session, AWC hosts City Actions Calls every Friday at 12:30 pm. In these meetings, AWC lobbyists provide legislative updates and city officials have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. The calls occur every Friday during the legislative session. You’ll need to register each week.
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