2024 County Budget

On Wednesday, November 8th, the Snohomish County Council adopted a $1.66 billion budget for 2024. The budget adoption follows months of presentations, analysis, and deliberations. You can read more about the budget process in my October and November newsletters.  

Several of my amendments were approved and included in the final adopted budget. The most notable was a proposal to set aside $1 million (from opioid settlement dollars and housing/behavioral health funds) to begin the process of converting underutilized county-owned space into Secure Withdrawal Management and Stabilization beds for individuals dealing with fentanyl addiction. Snohomish County currently has 0 beds for involuntary commitment related to substance abuse, and this process will look to identify and build out space for adding those needed treatment beds in our community. Fentanyl is devastating our communities, and this proposal could provide a useful tool for getting people off the street and into the help they need. 

While the final budget did not include all of my amendments (including my amendment to eliminate the 1% property tax increase), we were able to come together on a budget that funds the essential functions of county government and addresses some of the pressing issues in our county.  

To learn more and read all of the budget documents, you can visit this link.  

Council Office Intern 

During the budget season, I had the opportunity to host an intern at the County Council. For one day each week, Sophie Nichols observed Council Meetings, prepared budget summaries for department requests, and participated in tours and ride-alongs with public safety departments. She did a great job in the office and I greatly appreciate her work helping us through the busy budget time. She reflected on her experience in a letter to the editor which was published in the Daily Herald. You can read it here.  

WSAC Conference   

The second week of November is the annual conference for the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). This year’s conference was held in Spokane from November 14th-16th. I joined fellow councilmember, commissioners, and county executives from around the state to discuss challenges facing Washington counties and learn about how others are dealing with similar issues we are facing in Snohomish County. The WSAC annual conference is a great opportunity to learn and I appreciate the opportunity to attend each year.  

At the conference, I was re-elected as the Western Washington Representative to the WSAC Board of Directors. I have served on the Board for the past couple of years and appreciate the opportunity to represent not only Snohomish County but all Western region counties at the state level.  

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Tour

On November 28th, I had the opportunity to tour the future location of a sustainable aviation fuels project at Paine Field Airport. Earlier this year, Snohomish County announced that we are developing a Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Research and Development Center. Through this center, and a partnership with WSU Everett, we will be developing environmentally sustainable fuel alternatives for the aviation industry.  

This is an exciting project that puts Snohomish County on the leading edge of innovation in aerospace. This project is supported by a $6.5 million grant from the Washington State transportation budget. This is going to be a great addition to the offerings at Paine Field and an economic driver for Snohomish County industry. 

Legislative Session

Each year, the state legislature meets in Olympia for either a 105-day or 60-day legislative session. In 2024, the legislature will hold a short session where they will consider changes to state law and make adjustments in the biennial budget adopted in 2023. Snohomish County develops a legislative agenda each year to guide our advocacy efforts in Olympia. For the upcoming session, our main priority is the fentanyl crisis and changes we’d like to see at the state level.  

Our priorities include strengthening Ricky’s Law for involuntary detention, changes to standards for management of opioid withdrawal, improving access to opioid treatment, removing unnecessary barriers to care, and improving educational standards in school to prevent future drug use. We have made investments and commitments at the County level to address this issue but need help from the state to make meaningful progress on this crisis which is impacting every community in our state.  

We are also supporting the City of Marysville’s capital budget request for their planned sports and entertainment facility. This complex would include indoor sports facilities, a family entertainment center, apartments, hotel, sports bar and restaurant, and public plaza. This is an exciting concept and I am glad the county is in full support of the capital budget request.  

Filipino American Association of North Puget Sound 37th Anniversary