City lobbyist outlines Lake Stevens' 2026 legislative priorities and budget pressures
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Summary
City lobbyist Trevor Justin told the council the 2026 legislative session is a short 60-day supplemental year and summarized Lake Stevens' top state funding requests, including $500,000 for a key road extension and continued pursuit of trail and municipal campus funding.
At a Jan. 6 special meeting, the city's state lobbyist, Trevor Justin, gave Lake Stevens City Council a preview of the 2026 Washington legislative session and a rundown of the city's priorities.
Justin said the session begins Jan. 12 and runs 60 consecutive days. He described ongoing fiscal pressure in Olympia and summarized state budget figures he cited from the governor's proposal, noting shortfalls that make funding competitive this year.
Key local asks Justin outlined include a $500,000 state transportation request to advance design on the 79th Avenue and 24th Street extension to 60% design and continued work to secure funding for the South Lake Stevens multi-use path and the Northeast Centennial Trail Connector. Justin said previous Move Ahead Washington allocations included approximately $2,500,000 for the path and $3,000,000 for trail work and that the city will continue to press for earlier delivery of those funds to accelerate construction.
He also said the city will reintroduce a request for about $500,000 in the capital budget for municipal services campus energy-efficiency upgrades. Regarding larger regional projects, Justin described the US 2 trestle as a major, multi-year effort with existing but insufficient allocations and said local legislators and county partners will continue pursuing additional resources.
On public safety, Justin flagged House Bill 2015 (referred to in the transcript), which he said established a $100 million grant program but has proven challenging to implement for some local jurisdictions because of eligibility requirements. He said the city is monitoring proposals about automated license-plate readers and camera data-sharing to balance data protections with law enforcement utility.
Justin concluded that staff and the city will track many bills and that he will provide weekly reports during the session; he emphasized that the council's legislative agenda is a living document and may be adjusted as bills are filed and hearings are scheduled.