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Council approves draft 2025 legislative agenda, backs two capital funding requests
Summary
Moses Lake City Council approved a draft 2025 legislative agenda directing staff to pursue two capital funding requests — $807,000 for PFAS work at Well 29 and $166,000 to replace a pump at Well 17 — and signaled opposition to a bill to allow a 3% annual property tax increase.
Brianna, a presenter for the city’s legislative advocacy effort, asked the Moses Lake City Council to adopt a draft 2025 legislative agenda and to authorize staff to pursue two capital funding requests before the legislature’s Feb. 21 committee deadlines.
The agenda, she said, includes a request for $807,000 to address PFAS contamination at Well 29 and a backup request for $166,000 to replace the pump at Well 17. “We’ve been encouraged to submit both of them,” Brianna said, adding that it was unclear whether the council could secure the larger or only the smaller appropriation.
The nut of the request is timing and budget strategy: the presenter said the capital budget is the least constrained of the state’s three budgets this session and historically funds projects at an average appropriation near the $800,000 level. She asked council for direction so staff and advocates can work with the city’s legislative delegation ahead of the Feb. 21 deadlines for capital funding requests and committee passage.
Council members discussed positions on pending legislation raised during the presentation. Council member Deanna Martinez said she was opposed to a bill that would allow jurisdictions to increase property tax levy collections by up to 3% (House Bill 1334 as identified in the meeting). Brianna explained the bill would let jurisdictions increase levy collections by 3% or by inflation, whichever is lower, instead of the current 1% option under state law. Council members indicated a clear, informal consensus to oppose that change and asked staff to convey the direction to the city’s point of contact, Madeline, so the council’s position could be provided to the legislature.
Council also signaled support for a proposal, requested by Representative Dent, to allow the use of locally collected REET (real estate excise tax) dollars for airport projects; the presenter and staff said they planned either to submit a written statement or to have staff testify in support.
After discussion, a council member moved to approve the draft legislative agenda as presented, with the additions and comments made during the meeting. The motion passed. The council directed staff and the advocacy team to submit the two funding requests and to notify council members of opportunities to weigh in on bills during the current session.
The city will coordinate submission of the capital funding requests with the local legislative delegation and will provide council additional information and testimony options as opportunities arise.
