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Lobbyists brief council: prioritize water and a capital funding ask under $800,000 for the 2025 session
Summary
Moses Lake’s newly retained state lobbyists recommended a short, focused legislative agenda (3–5 priorities) and advised the council to include one capital funding request that fits the state’s expectations — ideally a funding gap under about $800,000. Lobbyists said water availability / infrastructure should be the city’s priority this session.
The city’s newly selected state lobbying team presented strategic advice and requested input on a legislative agenda for the 2025 Washington Legislature.
Brianna Murray and Colleen Meiners of Gordon Thomas Honeywell advised the council to adopt a one-page legislative agenda that lists three to five top priorities and one or two targeted funding requests. They emphasized three procedural points: (1) this is a budget year with a new biennium and a new governor, (2) the capital budget is the most stable budget to pursue community projects, and (3) the legislature increasingly wants projects to show other grant or matching funds and ability to spend the money in the 2025–2027 biennium.
Key guidance and recommendations
- Prefer capital requests under roughly $800,000 to increase the chance of allocation; larger, multimillion-dollar appropriations are rare and require broad coalitions and unusual circumstances. - The capital budget is the highest-return target for city-owned infrastructure (water, sewer, parks, community buildings). Transportation funding is handled in the transportation budget and typically requires regional support and a nexus to the state system. - Operating-budget asks are harder to secure in 2025 because of a projected multiyear shortfall; the lobbyists said operating requests should be focused, short-term pilots or replacement items.
Water is recommended as the top priority
Murray and Meiners said they understand Moses Lake’s water constraints and recommended water be the city’s top priority for the 2025 agenda. They outlined the practical approach: identify a specific capital project or funding gap (for example a treatment, storage or surface-water intake project), show other funding commitments and explain how state funds would be spent in the 2025–27 biennium.
Next steps and schedule
The lobbyists asked councilors to provide suggested agenda items so staff and the lobbyists can draft a one-page agenda for council approval. They proposed a deadline one week from the presentation for council feedback and offered to produce a draft agenda for adoption by the end of the month. Council members asked staff to coordinate with department leaders to identify projects and probable matching funds.
Ending
Lobbyists said their near-term focus will be getting a clear, short legislative agenda from the council, then using their state contacts to advance a capital funding request that fits the legislature’s expectations and timeline.
