OUR VIEW: It’s time for unfunded mandates to sail into the sunset

Published 3:48 pm Friday, January 7, 2011

It’s time the state Legislature stopped looking at the cities (and counties) as piggy banks to raid whenever it needs some extra cash to pay for its ideas or statewide services

Once again, the City of Renton has released its legislative agenda, which spells out how it will spend its time and effort making its wishes known in the long session of the state Legislature, which opens Monday.

A frequent refrain in that annual agenda is that the city will support any legislation that will reduce or eliminate unnecessary mandates from the Legislature, known as unfunded mandates.

We would support that, too. You want something done, then pay for it, legislators – or Gov. Gregoire Sure, there are things that are solely the responsibility of local governments. But the Legislature needs to let cities and counties decide which of those responsibilities to take on.

We don’t want the Legislature looking elsewhere for money. It’s clear the public doesn’t either, meaning higher taxes.

“We have enough challenges today,” says Suzanne Dale Estey, Renton’s economic development director.

A potentially massive unfunded mandate just sailed into port this week. Gregoire wants the nine counties that are served by the STATE’s ferry system to raise taxes, maybe on our properties, to pay for a big chunk of this service and to operate it.

So now the state wants local governments to pay for the state highway system, which we’ve been told for decades includes the state ferry system. Like roads, those boats serve everyone in the state. Everyone should pay for them, because they are critical to the state’s economy, not just a single county or city.

Maybe Gregoire should suggest a surcharge on those who live outside those nine counties to use a ferry above the regular ferry fare.

Of course, all this political “stuff” tends to get in the way of the real work in Olympia.

The City of Renton isn’t going down to Olympia with guns blazing. Maybe that works in Washington, D.C., but we know what that gets the nation in the end. No, Renton’s tenor is always one of cooperation and developing relationships. Face time is important, too. That collegial spirit will ensure that phone calls are returned and the city’s own agenda has a better chance of advancing.

Besides that, there’s not use holding a gun to someone when you know they don’t have money anyway.

Renton and other cities on the I-405 corridor are wise to keep the issue of funding freeway improvement projects in front of legislators. Those improvements will take a combination of funding sources from all levels of government. It’s important to point out that a team of national experts says that toll lanes are a workable way to raise money for such improvements. Tolls are an important targeted way to pay for what the public really finds necessary.

Of regional importance, too, is Renton’s call for the state to help pay for improvements to the Green River levee system, which is critical to protecting the vast commercial and warehouse areas of South King County. That’s not just a local issue, that’s a regional and national one. Gov. Chris Gregoire has included about $6 million for levees in her capital budget. It needs to stay there and maybe grow.

City officials are seeing what perhaps will be the most challenging legislative session in decades. Already, billions of dollars in state services have been cut and billions more are on the way. As we’ve written before, government will have to fundamentally change, and that’s a good thing. Others will have to step up, including each and every one of us, to help those who truly need assistance to get through their daily lives.

The city’s state legislative agenda, which includes policy statements, makes for interesting reading. Contact your state legislators with ideas; Renton has 15 of them. By all indications, they are listening. That’s their jobs. Our job is to ensure they follow our agenda, one that’s good for all and helps ensure a brighter future.