This upcoming legislative session could have Vancouver and cities like it playing defense.
The most pressing issue facing lawmakers in 2017 will be how to fund the state’s public school system, which means legislators will be on the hunt for money.
“They will be sweeping funds for everything,” said Vancouver City Councilor Jack Burkman. “So, I expect what we will be talking about is how to preserve what we have.”
That means keeping an eye on the public works trust fund, liquor excise tax, marijuana revenue and the like.
At a Vancouver City Council workshop on Monday, councilors started prepping for the upcoming session.
The 105-day legislative session is slated to kick off Jan. 9, with the goal of approving a two-year statewide budget.
The city councilors heard from two lobbyists, Mark Brown and Jennifer Ziegler, who represent their interests in Olympia.
The councilors aren’t slated to adopt a formal legislative agenda until after the November election, which could change the dynamic in Olympia.
Some of the city’s local priorities could include:
• Speeding up the funding to rebuild the interchange at Interstate 5 and Mill Plain Boulevard. The Legislature carved out $98.7 million for the project, but the city hopes it can kick off the design and planning process sooner if it can get some of the funding before it’s scheduled, which isn’t until 2020.
• This legislative session, lawmakers will approve a two-year spending plan, and likely tackle capital and transportation budgets. The city councilors will consider supporting a Fort Vancouver National Trust request of $1 million to restore and preserve Providence Academy and a $1.2 million request from the nonprofit Bridgeview for an education and employment resource center.
• Councilors also were briefed on a $300,000 capital budget request to add an air conditioner and replace the entry steps at the Clark County Historical Museum.
• Councilors will consider supporting a $390,000 building community fund grant to help CDM Caregiving Services, an adult day care and at-home care center, move into a new building set to be called the John McKibbin Center.
• The councilors were briefed on the Clark County Transportation Alliance’s statement, which the city traditionally supports. The list includes addressing the I-5 corridor, “including replacement of the two outdated and collision-prone bridges across the Columbia River that are near the end of their life,” according to the draft statement.
Other statewide issues the city could consider:
• In 2001, voters approved Initiative 747, a 1 percent annual cap on increases in local property tax levies. The cap does not consider population growth or inflation. The city could champion an effort to lift the cap.
• The councilors also were told the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission needs more funding to offer more basic law enforcement classes every year. Currently, new recruits often work behind a desk because there aren’t enough classes to get them certified in a timely fashion.
