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City's lobbyists say they helped restore $85 million for Confluence Parkway; council hears legislative priorities ahead of 2026
Summary
City-contracted lobbyists Lodestar Partners briefed the Wenatchee City Council on the state legislative process and said they successfully restored the full $85 million Move Ahead Washington allocation for the Confluence Parkway project while outlining priorities and timing for the 2026 session.
Blake Baldwin, vice president of Lodestar Partners, told the Wenatchee City Council that the firm and the city's legislative delegation worked to preserve funding for Confluence Parkway during a year of deep budget cuts at the state level.
"We worked with city staff and the mayor and others to identify where this was coming from," Baldwin said, and that effort led to a budget proviso that "restored the full $85,000,000 funding" for Confluence Parkway in Move Ahead Washington.
Lodestar's presentation summarized how the House and Senate initially proposed delays or cuts to many transportation projects while the state faced a multibillion-dollar operating shortfall. Baldwin said committee staff had misinterpreted project reporting from WSDOT, and the firm worked with Senator Gaynor and other leaders to correct the record before committee votes.
City Administrator Laura (introduced the presentation) said the city relied on the lobbying firm to connect local staff with budget writers in Olympia. "He was able to get us in touch with budget writers and get Jake in touch with them so he could explain all the different nuances of the project," she said.
Lodestar also urged the council to start shaping legislative priorities for the 2026 supplemental session around three "buckets": funding, policy and defense (anticipating proposals that could negatively affect the city). Baldwin suggested the council prioritize items that have a clear, achievable local benefit and at least one legislative champion.
During members' questions, councilors asked about coordination with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and a proposed AWC item to raise the property tax cap from 1% to 3%. Council member (referring to AWC) said they had reservations about the proposal; Lodestar said it maintains communication with AWC policy staff and can help tell Wenatchee's local story to state leaders.
The presentation concluded with Lodestar offering to help the city assemble a legislative agenda in September and October so the firm can engage pre-session with Seventh and Twelfth District legislators.
What happens next: Lodestar offered to provide a more detailed recap to council members after the meeting and to assist the city on priority-setting ahead of the 2026 supplemental session.
