Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Sequim lobbyist: state budget shortfalls push local transportation projects into future
Summary
Sequim’s contracted lobbyist told the City Council that large state operating and transportation deficits and limited new revenue led the Legislature to move many transportation projects, including Sequim’s US-101 access work, into later bienniums. He urged renewed local advocacy after the session produced partial funding for two Sequim projects.
Sequim’s Olympia lobbyist, Davor Jurasic, told the City Council on May 13 that a large state operating shortfall and a transportation revenue gap forced lawmakers to postpone funding for many road projects, including Sequim’s long‑running US‑101 access/interchange work.
Jurasic said the Legislature finished its budgets on the final day of the session but faced a roughly $16 billion operating shortfall in a roughly $76 billion four‑year operating plan and a multi‑billion dollar transportation shortfall tied to falling gas tax receipts and rising project costs. He said three revenue bills passed that would raise about $9 billion over six years; the governor still had a period to sign, veto or partially veto bills.
The immediate effect for Sequim: Jurasic said the city’s top priority — the US‑101 (sometimes referenced as the Senators bypass) access/interchange project — was not funded in the House transportation plan and was therefore moved out under the criteria lawmakers used to prioritize projects. Jurasic explained the Legislature used a rule that moved…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
