Housing Ordinances

This past month, the Snohomish County Council voted to adopt four pieces of legislation that I introduced to address housing affordability in our county. Specifically, these ordinances made adjustments to county code in an effort to increase the available supply of market-rate housing in Snohomish County and, in turn, drive down costs.  

The ideas behind these ordinances originated from the “Opening Doors to Home Ownership” panel series held at the County Council’s Planning and Community Development Committee which I chair. I worked with Council staff, Planning and Community Development staff, and community stakeholders to craft these four ordinances which decrease regulatory barriers and increase flexibility for housing.  

Each of these ordinances received a positive recommendation from the Planning Commission and were unanimously approved by the County Council before being signed by the Executive. 

You can read more about the ordinances in the Lynnwood Times’ coverage at this link.  

Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing

On Monday, August 19th, the Snohomish County Council held a public hearing to receive testimony on the upcoming Comprehensive Plan updates. The Comprehensive Plan is a 20-year planning document used to guide the County’s land use, housing, capital facilities, economic development, natural environment, and transportation policies.  

 At the public hearing, we received almost two hours of public testimony from individuals from across the county sharing their thoughts with the County Council. I appreciate everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to participate in this important public hearing. Listening to members of the public on their thoughts regarding these types of issues helps me to make more informed decisions on behalf of our community.   

The County Council continued the hearing to September 11th. At that hearing, the Council is expected to take final action on the Comprehensive Plan updates.  

Biennial Budget Process Preview

Starting later this month, the County Council will begin our budget process. This year will be a little different than previous years because we will be adopting our county’s first biennial budget. This means we will adopt a budget which sets revenues and expenditures for both 2025 and 2026. Prior to this year, we have only budgeted for one year at a time. A two-year budget gives us the opportunity to look at proposed programs and expenditures over a longer time horizon to ensure sustainable finances and better observe the effectiveness of various programs. 

After Executive Somers proposes his budget, the County Council will begin our budget deliberations. This begins with departmental budget presentations. During these presentations, department heads and independent elected officials make their case for their budget requests and answer questions from Councilmembers.  

Following department presentations, the Council will deliberate and debate amendments to the proposed budget, culminating in a series of public meetings and hearings before adoption. In upcoming newsletters, I will share those public hearing details so that you can weigh in on the County’s budget before it is adopted for the next two years.  

I send out newsletters on a monthly basis to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing the residents of North Snohomish County on the County Council. Please feel free to reach out to me at 425-512-4810 or Nate.Nehring@snoco.org. 

Sincerely,  

Nate Nehring
Councilman, District 1