The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About071414_ca02Consent Agenda Commissioners Office JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners Philip Morley, County Administrator FROM: Leslie Locke, Deputy Clerk of the Board DATE: July 14, 2014 SUBJECT: RESOLUTION re: Supporting the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) Fiscal Sustainability Initiative STATEMENT OF ISSUE: A letter was received from the Washington State Association of Counties requesting Counties approve a resolution endorsing the County Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the resolution. REVIEWED BY: hilip�, County dministrator Date STATE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY OF JEFFERSON In the Matter of Supporting the Washington } State Association of Counties (W SAC) } Resolution No. Fiscal Sustainability Initiative } WHEREAS, County governments across the State of Washington are facing a financial and service delivery crisis; and WHEREAS, the cost of providing essential public services is outpacing the growth of revenue, leaving counties with few options other than cutting services to the public; and WHEREAS, under the Constitution and laws for the State of Washington, many state programs are administered and carried out by counties for residents of both incorporated and unincorporated areas including: administering and operating civil and criminal justice systems; running elections; assessing and collecting property taxes to support schools, cities, fire districts and other functions in addition to county operations; developing plans including Growth Management and Shoreline Management plans; delivering public health services, environmental health services, and funding or coordinating programs for youth, senior citizens, the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled; and addressing the need for low- income housing; and WHEREAS, counties also provide a primary government service for residents of unincorporated areas including law enforcement, animal control, transportation, land use and development permitting, and parks and recreation; and WHEREAS, the public services that counties provide are essential to the functions of state government and to the wellbeing of the citizens, businesses and communities we serve; and WHEREAS, unlike states and cities, counties are financed primarily by just two sources of revenue: property taxes, and sales and use taxes; yet property tax growth is capped at 1% plus the value of new construction (which remains at historic lows), and sales tax collections are constrained by the rural character of unincorporated counties under the Growth Management Act; and the value of both of these revenues continues to lose ground against the real cost of inflation; and WHEREAS, in addition to revenue limitations, counties are challenged with a host of regulatory requirements that are increasingly complex and expensive, expanding liability costs, and increasing employment costs, regardless of a county's ability to pay; and WHEREAS, the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) has launched its Fiscal Sustainability Initiative in an effort to educate lawmakers about the services counties provide, advance new revenue generation and cost containment options to improve the fiscal health of county governments, and to advance legislation in support of those options; Resolution in Support of WSAC's Fiscal Sustainability Initiative Page 1 of 2 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Jefferson County Commissioners hereby express support for the Washington State Association of Counties' Fiscal Sustainability Initiative and a willingness work with WSAC and other county officials across the state to advance the adequate and sustainable funding for vital county government services. APPROVED this day of July, 2014. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SEAL: John Austin, Chairman Phil Johnson, Member ATTEST: David Sullivan, Member Carolyn Avery, Deputy Clerk of the Board Resolution in Support of WSAC's Fiscal Sustainability Initiative Page 2of 2 Washington State Association of Counties . t " July 02, 2014 Ji. L. t) f ' 2014 The Honorable John Austin, Chair, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners sn < r PO Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 -6951 Dear Commissioner Austin: Though the beginning of the 2015 Legislative Session is still over six months away, preparations are underway to make this as successful a session as possible. WSAC is preparing a legislative agenda focused on advancing the county Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. We know that many counties are also in the process of preparing their legislative agendas. Our influence with the Legislature is greatly enhanced when counties speak with a unified voice. Toward that end, we are asking all counties to include the county Fiscal Sustainability Initiative on their individual county legislative agenda. The manner in which you do so, and the specific language you use is not as important as simply ensuring that your county's support forthe WSAC legislative agenda is mentioned in your county agenda. If your county has not prepared a legislative agenda in the past, we would encourage you to do so even if the sole purpose is to indicate support for the Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. We are also asking individual counties to adopt a resolution endorsing the county Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. In 2013 eight counties adopted resolutions (Benton, Island, Kittitas, Snohomish, Spokane, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, and Whatcom), and we are hoping the remaining counties will do the same this year. Enclosed with this letter is an example of one county's resolution. If you have any questions about the resolution or legislative agenda document, WSAC staff stand ready to assist you and can be contacted through Josh Weiss at (360) 489 -3015 or jweiss @wacounties.org. As your WSAC Legislative Steering Committee Co- Chairs we are also happy to answer any questions you might have. Sincerely, Kathy Lambert Legislative Steering Committee Co -Chair King County Councilmember 'If Kevin Bouchey Legislative Steering Committee Co -Chair Yakima County Commissioner Washington Counties Building 1 206 Tenth Ave SE I Olympia, Washington 98501 -1211 1 Phone: 360.753.1886 1 Fax: 360.753.2842 www.wacounties.org/wsac ti SNOHOMISH COUNTY COUNCIL SNOHOMISH COUNTY EXECUTIVE Snohomish County, Washington JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 -018- A JOINT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE WASHINGTON STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES (WSAC) FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE WHEREAS, county governments across the State of Washington are facing a financial and service delivery crisis; and WHEREAS, the cost of providing essential public services is outpacing the growth of revenue, leaving counties with few options othe(than cutting services to the public; and WHEREAS, under the Constitution and laws for the State of Washington, many state programs are administered and carried out by counties for residents of both incorporated and unincorporated areas including: administering and operating civil and criminal justice systems;. running elections; assessing and collecting property taxes. to support schools, cities, fire districts and other functions in addition to county operations; developing plans including Growth Management and Shoreline Management plans; delivering public health services as well as programs for the mentally ill; developmentally disabled; and addressing the need for low- income housing; and WHEREAS, counties- also provide a primary government services for residents of unincorporated areas including law enforcement, transportation (both roads and transit), land use and zoning, parks, animal control, stormwater control; and WHEREAS, unlike states and cities, counties are financed primarily by two sources of revenue: property taxes and sales and use taxes. However, property tax growth is capped at 1% plus the value of new construction, and sales tax collections have become increasingly challenging with the Growth Management Act allowing cities to annex large tax- paying businesses into their jurisdictions; and WHEREAS, in addition to revenue limitations, counties are challenged with a host of regulatory requirements that are increasingly complex and expensive, expanding liability costs, and increasing employment costs, regardless of a county's ability to pay, and WHEREAS, WSAC launched its Fiscal Sustainability Initiative in an effort to - educate lawmakers about the services counties provide, advance new revenue generation and cost containment options to improve the fiscal health of county governments, and to advance legislation in support of those options. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Snohomish County Executive and the Snohomish County Council hereby express support for the Washington State Association of Counties Fiscal Sustainability, Initiative, and a willingness work with WSAC and other county officials across the state to advance the initiative. APPROVED this 2nd day of October, 2013. r, l 1�k top ant Wright, G�ur it Chair Dave Somers, u ice -Chair ullivan, Councilmember ATTEST_ Kathry6 J. f3ratcher, Clerk of the Council hn Lovick, County Executive Dave Gossett, \ ) )