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Yakima County commissioners warn state transportation budget could put planned ramp projects at risk
Summary
Commissioner McKinney reported meetings in Olympia and said the majority party appeared unlikely to allow further debate on the state budget; he expressed confidence in core East‑West Corridor funding but said planned interstate ramp changes are “in jeopardy.”
Yakima County commissioners discussed concerns about the state transportation budget after Commissioner McKinney returned from advocacy meetings in Olympia, saying legislative developments could put some planned ramp projects at risk.
Commissioner McKinney, who said he attended meetings in Olympia with the county’s legislative steering group for WASAC, reported that the majority party in the legislature appeared reluctant to allow additional debate on the budget proposal. “They were in the midst of talking about whether or not the budget was going to be allowed to be debated in public or not,” McKinney said, according to the work-session transcript.
When Commissioner Curtis asked whether McKinney felt comfortable that local transportation dollars for Yakima projects would remain intact, Curtis referenced the county’s East‑West Corridor work and changes to the funding model. McKinney replied that there is “a dark reality,” and said he still had confidence in the East‑West Corridor’s core funding but that “the changes to the interstate and the ramps that were planned are definitely in jeopardy.”
No formal county action or directive was recorded; the exchange was part of commissioners’ routine updates. Commissioners did not identify specific state appropriations or line items during the discussion, nor did they set formal follow-up tasks during the work session.
