Washington cities can help legislators understand and address complex issues.

Mayors and councilmembers often face a steep learning curve when they’re first elected or appointed to office. Whatever their previous experience, there is sure to be some area of city governance that’s unfamiliar to them. Maybe it’s a human resources issue, costly repairs to the city’s wastewater system, or complaints about the permitting process. In those cases, it can be helpful to have a guide—someone who is willing to answer novice questions and point out the important factors.

New state legislators are in a similar position. They are often unfamiliar with the basics of how cities operate. As they begin their first session in January, you can serve as their guide to Washington cities. With your knowledge and position, you can help them learn about the challenges cities are facing. And you can share with them why Washington’s 281 cities and towns are a critical partner in the state’s success. Using AWC’s 2021 legislative priorities as a guide, here are five critical issues to share.

Statewide policing reforms

Policing reform will be at the top of many legislators’ minds, but new legislators won’t necessarily think of policing as a city issue. It’s helpful to let them know that, as of 2019, almost 7,000 officers in Washington were municipal employees, which represents 61 percent of all uniformed law enforcement in the state. To put it another way, law enforcement officers are predominantly part of cities.

Since cities are central to law enforcement in Washington, it only makes sense to involve city leaders in discussions of police reform. Washington cities need solutions and programs that can fit the unique needs of diverse communities—solutions that preserve local decision-making. Cities also recognize the necessity of certain statewide reforms, including additional training for officers and a fully funded Basic Law Enforcement Academy.

State-shared revenues

New legislators may not know that cities are where most of the state’s tax revenue is generated. In fact, for every dollar of revenue that the state shares with cities, cities generate $132 back to the state.

We often refer to cities and towns as the government that’s closest to the people. As Washingtonians visit parks, drive on roads, and access clean water, they are often interacting with the work of local government. Given the importance of cities, partnerships with local governments are key to serving the needs of everyone throughout Washington.

City leaders need state legislators to continue investing in cities through revenue sharing that supports essential programs and services, especially in our smallest communities.

Transportation revenue package

When new state legislators think about transportation in Washington, they might think of Interstates 5 and 90 shuffling cars across the state. It might come as a surprise to learn that Washington cities own and maintain 740 bridges and more than 35,000 miles of streets. Over a quarter of vehicle travel in the state was done on city streets last year.

Funding the construction and maintenance of these transportation assets is expensive. The Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) recently found that in the next 10 years, cities will need to spend $20–$28 billion to maintain and improve our transportation assets. Cities need increased local transportation resources to maintain and protect aging infrastructure.

Fiscal flexibility

It’s an understatement to say that 2021 will be a strange year for new legislators. In addition to navigating the logistics of a remote session, they will be facing harsh financial realities as they work to pass a budget. It’s a position city leaders have already been facing.

Even in good economic times, city revenues don’t keep up with the rising costs of goods and services. Now, city budgets are stretched thin to cover Covid-19 expenses, on top of lost revenue from the corresponding economic downturn.

New legislators may be unaware that property tax is the largest source of revenue for Washington cities, and that 20 years ago this key revenue source was capped—arbitrarily—at 1 percent annual growth. The result is that cities cannot keep up with the natural inflationary growth of expenditures. City budgets face staggering structural deficits that continue to grow by the current rate of inflation. Cities need the Legislature to revisit this subjective restriction and replace it with something designed to keep up with inflation.

Housing stability assistance

For city leaders, housing stability is not an abstract issue. They see the effects of homelessness and the crisis in affordable housing in their own communities. They grappled with this crisis as it was growing before the pandemic, and they continue to confront it now that it has been exacerbated by Covid-19.

Housing no longer serves only the basic role of shelter. Due to the public health crisis, housing is also a quarantine space, an office, a school, and a day care center. Yet nearly a third of renters and 17 percent of homeowners in Washington have indicated that they have low confidence in making their next rent or paying their next mortgage.

Without the state’s direct action to provide rent assistance and foreclosure prevention resources, our overburdened homelessness response system will be overwhelmed with the people and families who become newly homeless. Legislators—including new legislators—can help by providing resources to stabilize housing and prevent catastrophic levels of homelessness.

These five issues certainly don’t address all of the responsibilities held by cities. But they are an entry point for understanding the unique challenges facing cities in this unique time. Educating new legislators is a powerful way to advocate for your city right now while building relationships for years to come.