AWC 2010 Legislative Priorities
On December 4, the AWC Board of Directors adopted three major legislative priorities for the 2010 session (pdf, 79 kb). They are: City flexibility package, Stormwater funding, and Street utility.
View all AWC legislative priorities here (pdf, 85 kb).
City flexibility package
In 2009, AWC advanced a broad city flexibility package. This included "flexing" restrictions and requirements in areas such as fiscal health, land use, infrastructure, community safety, public records management, and more. In particular this included greater flexibility with existing revenues and local determination of how these revenues are allocated. The state did many of these same things in adopting the 2009-11 biennial budget, so AWC argued that the same latitude should be given to local governments, even if for a limited period of time.
Below is a list of just some of the ideas AWC will be pursuing that support fiscal flexibility, cost-effective options, and local discretion in allocating resources in order for cities to best provide essential services (see fact sheet for more information):
- Public safety sales tax (0.3% county-wide local option) – 2SSB 5433, which passed in 2009, allowed for partial supplanting of the public safety sales and use tax until 2015. Pursue full removal of non-supplant language and no expiration date.
- Real estate excise tax – Currently cities that collect the 2nd 0.25% REET must spend those funds on a shorter list of projects than the 1st 0.25% REET. Allow the list of projects for the 2nd 0.25% locally collected real estate excise tax to match the list of projects for the 1st 0.25% real estate excise tax.
- Gambling tax – Currently this tax can be used for local gambling enforcement programs. Expand uses to general public safety purposes.
- Lodging tax – Currently the lodging tax is restricted to specific uses that are tourism-related. Expand uses for any purpose that maintains or enhances tourism, including public safety.
- GMA impact fees – Currently cities can charge for fire, parks, roads and schools if provided by the city. Add police/public safety and emergency response facilities, as well as fire, if provided by a district. Broaden definition of allowable transportation expenditures to include "multimodal" (trails, transit and others). Extend period of time when impact fees can be spent.
- GMA & shoreline update – Skip next round of GMA updates in smaller/slow growth cities and counties. Alter GMA and Shoreline planning update schedule (i.e. provide more time).
- Grant-matching requirements – Reduce matching requirements for State grants.
- Transportation Benefit District – Amend statute to extend voter approved sales tax beyond current 10 year provision. This would allow bonding of this revenue stream.
Municipal stormwater funding
A long- term state funding mechanism is needed to support "Phase I" and "Phase II" NPDES stormwater requirements, as well as Puget Sound cleanup efforts, that impacts 137 cities. AWC will aggressively pursue ESHB 1614 (from 2009) which would establish a fee on a barrel of unrefined oil (approximately $120M/year in revenue); however, we will remain open to alternative legislation that provides equivalent funding. Please see more information regarding stormwater funding in our fact sheet.
Street maintenance utility - a city option
Like the state’s 18th Amendment and the County Road levy, AWC is pursuing a permanent transportation funding source for basic street maintenance and preservation. Currently, approximately three out of every four city transportation dollars are dependent upon general fund transfers that must compete for other city services. Similar to a sewer or water utility, the proposal is to create a street maintenance utility that would charge different user classifications based on trips generated and a city’s cost to maintain and preserve its existing system. This city option is more equitable than other approaches such as increased property taxes and would help avoid costly street reconstruction. It also has extensive public involvement during the creation of the utility and includes accountability measures to assure the public these funds will be dedicated to preserving our streets. Please see more information on the street utility on our fact sheet.