Megan Dunn's eNewsletter
Snohomish County Council
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201
8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail: ContactDistrict2@snoco.org
Paula Rhyne, Legislative Aide
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Dear Friend:
Early this month marked one month in office, and what a fantastic month it has been! I’m hitting the ground running and my schedule has been jam packed with briefings, committee meetings, council meetings, constituent work, and community gatherings. At these meetings, I have been focused on affordability, livability, and sustainability to protect and improve our well-being. It has been great to serve Snohomish County in this new role, and I look forward to what is ahead of us.
In this month’s newsletter, I’m highlighting the great work that our Public Works Team did in response to record rainfall and flooding. I'm also sharing more information about the upcoming tax season, boards and commissions openings, and local events. So much has happened this last month, it was hard to just pick a few highlights.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office if we can be of assistance in any way. Feel free to email us at ContactDistrict2@snoco.org or call us at 425-388-3494 and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We are committed to being responsive to our constituents and would be happy to answer any questions or help to resolve any concerns that you may have.
Sincerely,
Megan Dunn
Kudos to our Department of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Surface Water Management Teams
This past month, we saw record rainfall across the area and many of our neighboring jurisdictions saw flooding, mudslides, uprooted trees, and other impacts from the severe weather. The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) had their hands full and did an amazing job coordinating with the Parks Department, Public Works, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Red Cross to respond quickly to the flooding. DEM was able to work with WSDOT to clear logs off of the US-2 Trestle pilings, monitor the mud slide near Picnic Point Beach, coordinate with the Fairgrounds to open up the barns for livestock, partner with Red Cross who set up a shelter in Marysville for people displaced by flooding, and respond to reports of water over the roadways as they came in.
The DEM’s website has a lot of really helpful tools to help you prepare and respond to an emergency in your area. They list a lot of ways that you and your household can be prepared for an emergency. Additionally, they have put together a Disaster Preparedness Guide which is worth taking the time to look through to make sure that you and your loved ones (pets, too!) are ready in case of extreme winter weather, flooding, earthquakes, and even volcanos.
In Snohomish County, we are lucky to have such a great team working hard to keep us safe with the limited resources that they have. They utilize community partnerships and innovative measures to help keep costs to tax-payers low.
Thank you, Department of Emergency
Management and partners!
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Pilchuck River Flooding (from DEM Website) |
It’s that time of year again - birds are chirping, days are getting longer, trees are starting to bud, and tax forms have arrived in our mailbox. It’s tax season! I recently sat down with Linda Hjelle, Snohomish County Assessor, to talk with her about all of the hard work that the assessor’s office has been doing and to pass on concerns that I have been hearing regarding property taxes. She led us through how our county taxes are calculated, and how complicated the process can be because of the various water, fire, and other local districts. Your tax rate may be different from your neighbor’s tax rate because of the way various districting boundaries are located.
If you are a homeowner, you can see specifically where your tax dollars are going by using this handy online tool. You will need to know your specific parcel number, which you can look up using the Property Summary Search on the Assessor’s home page. The link that shows your property’s tax distribution can also show how your tax rates have changed over the past few years.
Keeping tax burdens to a minimum and ensuring equity in our tax system is a priority for me. This is why I recently proposed that we explore the possibility of a Snohomish County Working Class Family Tax Credit and reducing the burden for low and middle income families. This tax credit would be similar to a proposal at the state level which would allow households who earn a certain amount of money per year to see a credit on their tax returns. Washington State is the most regressively taxed state in the nation, meaning that middle-income and low-income families bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of taxes. We can all agree that government needs to be a good steward of tax payers dollars, and a Working-Class Tax Credit is one way that we can help ease the tax burden on those who need it the most.
The County and State offer a property tax exemption called the Senior Citizen/Disabled Persons Property Tax Exemption Program. There have been some changes in the income thresholds this past year which expands the number of households that are eligible and they can be reviewed at this link. Other exemptions can be reviewed on the Assessor’s website at this link. The Property Tax Exemptions Division can walk you through the qualifications and application process and can be reached by phone at 425-388-3540 or by email at contact.assessor@snoco.org.
Please feel free to email me at ContactDistrict2@snoco.org with any questions that you have about your county taxes and we will be happy to assist you.
Earlier this month, my Legislative Aide, Paula, and I drove down to Olympia for an advocacy and education day. We were there for Public Health Advocacy Day and to share with our state legislators the amazing work that Snohomish County Public Health has recently done in response to the Coronavirus Outbreak. Funding from the state for local health districts has been drastically reduced over the years, and the effects have been detrimental. Our Public Health team needs to have the resources to not only respond promptly to a pandemic, but also to other public health matters like vaping and access to core services.
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Juliana Bushnell, UW Public Health Student, Myself, and Paula Rhyne, my aide, at Public Health Advocacy Day in Olympia. |
Also while in Olympia, I was able to testify in support of Senator Hobbs’ Forward Washington transportation package. This funding package would provide the critical funding needed to help repair roadways, culverts, bridges, and other vital transportation infrastructure in Snohomish County, including projects like the US-2 Trestle and SR 524. The testimony was timely as it took almost three hours for my Aide and I to drive from Everett to Olympia.
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Testifying at the Transportation Committee Meeting in Olympia. |
Transportation is so key to keep our region moving forward. I also recently met with WSDOT representative, John Vezina, to get a tour of the new Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. I was glad to see that the terminal and holding areas are being built with an extremely low environmental impact and they are working on future plans for this route to be our first hybrid electric ferry! I look forward to seeing how this project continues to develop. Here is a link to a really great video, taken by Kevin Stoltz, of the construction progress.
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Touring the new Mukilteo Ferry Terminal with John Vezina of WSDOT. |
Snohomish County Human Services Department has a robust program that helps the veterans in our community through the Veterans Assistance Fund. The Veterans’ Assistance Fund Executive Board provides recommendations on how funds can be spent to provide services for our veterans. There are vacancies on this board, so if you, or anyone you know, is a veteran and lives in District 2, please get in touch with our office (contactdistrict2@snoco.org) and we can tell you more about this committee and how to apply.
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The Snohomish County Children’s Commission is an advisory committee that informs the Executive, Council, and Human Services Department about issues pertaining to the health, safety, and social services, for youth and infants in our community. There are 25 people who serve on this board and there are at-large vacancies that they are looking to fill. If you have questions about this board, or would like to apply, please get in touch with Karen Matson at Karen.matson@snoco.org or 425-388-7251.
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Snohomish County is currently seeking volunteers for one open position on the Boundary Review Board. They serve for a four-year term and are not allowed to hold other local government elected or appointed positions or jobs. The Boundary Review Board is instrumental in resolving disputes among property owners, citizens, developers, and governmental authorities. If you are interested in serving on this board, you can submit an application at this link, and must do so by February 28. The vacancy on this board is open to all county residents, not just residents of District 2.
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The Fair Advisory Board is an active group that meets monthly to consult and assist the Fair Manager in the operation and maintenance of the Evergreen State Fair. There is a vacancy for a position that represents District 2, and we would love to fill this seat. The Evergreen State Fair and the Fairgrounds is a wonderful place that serves all in Snohomish County and helps us connect to our agricultural history. If you, or anyone you know, would like to serve on this board, please fill out the nomination form that’s located on this webpage.
Tulalip: On January 22, 1855, the Treaty of Point Elliott, which was the treaty that tribal leaders transferred ownership of the land in our area from the many tribes that called this land home, to white settlers. The original treaty is now on display at the Hibulb Cultural Center as a loaned item from the National Archives. To learn more about this plus more information about how you can see this historic document, please click here or here.
Mukilteo: The next Teen Volunteer Hour at the Mukilteo Library is coming up on Saturday, March 7. If your teenager needs to get community service credit for their schools, the Mukilteo Library has an opportunity where they can volunteer at their library for credits. No need to sign up, just show up on the first Saturday of each month for one hour between 10:30 and 11:30am September through May.
Everett:
Everett Police is accepting applications for the Everett Community Police Academy. Until March 9th, applications will be accepted from anyone interested in a unique interactive experience to learn about the department’s mission, values, and operations. This 10-week program gives participants the opportunity to engage and gain a deeper understanding of what, why, and how Everett Police works toward enhancing local quality of life and reducing crime.
Classes will be held on Thursday’s from 6-9 p.m. starting on April 9th through June 11th.
Anyone is encouraged to apply, especially those who desire to participate in our community. Preference will be given to those who live, work or go to school in Everett. Participants must be at least 21 years-old and commit to attending a minimum of 8 sessions. Selection is limited to 20 people and all participants will need to successfully pass a WA State Patrol background check. Apply today!
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Officer Klingman on patrol. |
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