Clark County saw some wins and at least one disappointment in proposals released by House budget writers to fund transportation and construction across the state.
On Monday, the chairs of the House Transportation Committee and House Capital Budget Committee released their respective two-year budgets. While both contain some good news for Clark County, both will need to be reconciled with Senate versions before being signed by Gov. Jay Inslee.
The nearly $10 billion transportation budget includes funding for one of the biggest priorities for local leaders in Clark County, with $8.7 million toward the replacement of the Interstate 5 Bridge over the Columbia River.
Speaking at a press event, Rep. Sharon Wylie, a Vancouver Democrat who sits on the House Transportation Committee, said that the funding would be a significant investment toward restarting the conversation between Oregon and Washington over replacing the bridge.
“Remember, this is a 100-year-old bridge with timbers resting on mud in an earthquake subduction zone,” said Wylie, who called the facility a “chokepoint” that is affecting the region’s economy.
Brian Enslow, a lobbyist for the city of Vancouver, said that the funding is a priority for the city. He said it will be used to establish a project office for replacing the bridge. The amount is less than the $17.5 million Inslee included in his proposed budget. Enslow pointed out that unlike Inslee’s proposed budget, which assumed the new bridge would include light rail, the House version does not.
While the Senate has yet to release a complete transportation budget, earlier this month the Senate Transportation Committee passed a package of bills that contained a $450 million “placeholder” for the I-5 Bridge replacement. The package of bills included a carbon tax and an increase in the gas tax to fund infrastructure projects, which the House version does not include.
The House transportation budget includes $65.4 million for projects in Clark County for improvements for major arterials, sidewalks, pedestrian safety and other projects. The budget puts projects sought by C-Tran on contingency lists for funding including $3 million for C-Tran’s bus rapid transit line on Mill Plain Boulevard, $2.4 million for its Columbia House Boulevard Park & Ride.
While the projects won’t be funded under the proposed budget, it does direct $4.9 million for a project to allow buses to use the southbound I-5 shoulder from the 99th Street Transit Center. The budget also includes $700,000 for rehabilitation of the county-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, which has been the subject of recent litigation.
However, not included in the budget was a request from Clark County to move up the time frame for $50 million for improvements to the N.E. 179th Street/I-5 interchange. The funding is currently designated for the 2023-25 budget cycle, and Clark County had hoped to expedite funding to facilitate a large series of developments in the area.
The House capital budget totals $4.6 billion, with $3.1 billion in projects funded with bond revenue. In addition to funding improvements to schools, environmental projects and other construction needs, the upcoming capital budget is expected to also support a priority of the current legislative session: overhauling the state’s mental health system.
Included in the proposed $19.5 million for projects in Clark County is the full $1.7 million for the Tenny Creek assisted living facility that would house people with chronic mental illness.
“So far, very good news!” said Clark County Council Chair Eileen Quiring in a text.
Contained in the capital budget is funding for maintenance and repairs at Clark College, campus preservation funding at the Washington State School for the Blind, wildlife recreational grants and other local projects.
Also contained in the capital budget is $277,000 for a build-out of the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab in Vancouver. Clark County Councilor Julie Olson said in a text that the appropriation will also help supply the instrumentation and equipment to help the lab eliminate the backlog of sexual assault kits. She did note that another bill will provide funding to help address the backlog.
Wylie said in a text that while the budgets will make crucial investments in education, mental health and other priorities, there is “never enough money to meet everyone’s needs.” Earlier in the session, Republican legislators pushed back on new taxes proposed to pay for the budget with some suggesting the session could go into overtime. Wylie said that she is not supportive of paying for services with additional sales and property taxes.
“Now the negotiations begin in earnest,” said Wylie.
