Council discusses legislative issues, lobbyist

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Spokane Valley City Council had its first discussion on the issues it will push in Olympia during the legislative session, likely with new help from a lobbyist.

A tentative list of priorities for the city includes money for a universal children’s park at Mirabeau Point, funding for streets and support for the Project Access health care program.

If states receive a greater share of federal gas taxes, councilman Mike DeVleming said the city should push leaders in Olympia to make sure it makes its way back into cities and isn’t all spent on highway projects.

The city also may take the lead on efforts to allow cities to collect the county road tax in newly annexed areas for ten years.

“We could, in fact, be the catalyst that gets this done,” said Councilman Rich Munson who supported forming a task force on the issue and involving other cities around the state.

A majority on the council also supported lobbying on legislation that implements a part of a streamlined sales tax, which city leaders fear will result in smaller revenues for some cities in years to come.

The sales tax issue is one where Spokane Valley disagrees with the Association of Washington Cities although it is a member. Members of the council earlier cited issues where its interests diverge from AWC as the reason for soliciting bids for their own lobbyist earlier this year.

Councilman Dick Denenny said he sees a big part of the lobbyist’s job as reacting to bills as they come up. With the state capitol on the other side of the state, Denenny said, the lobbyist could testify for and against legislation that could affect the city faster than council members on their own.

A committee of staff and council members interviewed two possible lobbyists recently, and the mayor Tuesday gave the city manager the go-ahead to draft lobbying a contract for the next session.