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City legislative advocate: Des Moines wins funding for pier steps and air-quality monitor; larger tax and funding changes remain unsettled
Summary
Des Moines legislative advocate reported wins from the state session including $1 million for the Redondo pier steps and $440,000 for a University of Washington air-quality monitor; the session also expanded sales tax base and raised the gas tax, while some items (port package funding) were swept.
Anthony Hempstead, Des Moines’ legislative advocate, briefed the council on June 12 about the outcomes of the 105-day Washington state legislative session and key items relevant to the city.
Hempstead said the legislature approved funding that will directly benefit Des Moines: $1 million for the Redondo fishing pier/marina steps (a repeat request funded this session) and $440,000 to buy and operate a University of Washington air-quality monitor for the area. He credited regional legislators and staff for helping secure the awards and said UW is prepared to move quickly once contract paperwork is complete.
Hempstead and City Manager Catherine Capri described larger statewide tax and budget changes that have implications for city revenue and services. The state expanded the sales-tax base to cover additional services; Hempstead said the local allocation details are still being sorted by the Department of Revenue and the Office of Financial Management and could be subject to legal challenge. The statewide gas tax increase (approximately 6 cents per gallon) passed and will produce some additional revenue for local governments as well as the state.
On public-safety funding, Hempstead said the session added $100 million for grants to hire additional officers and created an optional 0.1% councilmanic criminal-justice sales tax that cities can adopt without a public vote; Hempstead and staff said the eligibility rules and implementation details are still being developed and that the local revenue yield for a small sales-tax base like Des Moines would be limited.
Hempstead also reported the session left intact some airport, air-quality and alternative-fuels funding lines and restored work-plan authority to a regional Council of Governments (COG) that will study airport impacts. He said a separate $1 million appropriation for port packages that had been in the prior budget was swept and will need replacement in a future session.
City leaders told the council they will continue to follow up on program rules, eligibility and revenue allocations and will advise council on how potential legal challenges, implementation rules and local eligibility may affect Des Moines’ budget and program access.
No formal council action was required; the presentation summarized the session’s outcomes and flagged follow-up items for staff to pursue with legislators and state agencies.
