Local mayors: 'Give us our money back

The message delivered by local mayors at the Jan. 8 West Plains Chamber of Commerce breakfast was polite, but clear.

It was the same one delivered again at a Jan. 12 press conference outside the city of Spokane's Fire Station No. 4, and one Washington legislators can expect to hear more of in the coming weeks - "Give us our money back!"

It was a message delivered both times by Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove and Airway Heights Mayor Patrick Rushing. The pair were joined at the press conference by Spokane Mayor David Condon, Spokane Valley Mayor Dean Grafos, Chewelah Mayor Dorothy Knauss and Town of Rosalia Mayor Nan Konishi, all detailing impacts to their respective municipalities by the Legislature's decisions to withhold liquor revenues they say were guaranteed to them when Initiative 1138 passed privatizing alcohol.

To make legislators more aware of the impacts to cities from lost liquor revenue, the Association of Washington Cities is launching the "Strong Cities, Great State" campaign. Some of the impacts listed by the mayors ranged from employee layoffs to depleted reserves to inability to hire additional police officers to the closing of a swimming pool.

All told, according to AWC information, cities in Northeast Washington stand to lose more than $15.2 million in liquor revenues between 2013 and 2017, with over $200 million lost statewide.

On the other side of the coin, cities provide 95 percent of the state's gross product, 90 percent of retail sales, 69 percent of job generating businesses and 64 percent of the state's population. Cities also provide 62 percent of local law enforcement and fire personnel, and spend 44 percent of operating revenue on public safety.

"The Legislature has made it clear they expect cities to meet (citizens') needs," Condon said at the press conference. "But we do it at the expense of other needed programs."

To meet needs Cheney, laid off five city employees, drained reserves and put off needed equipment replacement. Trulove said such needs are replacement of its No. 1 fire attack engine, beginning at $450,000, along with a 30-year-old, 2-inch hose.

"We have no money for that," he said. "We cut back on de-icer in order to buy three Tasers (for the Police Department)."

Trulove added that when citizens need something such as emergency assistance or their roads plowed, they don't call the state. They call their respective cities.

"You look at the role of local governments and they are the ones serving citizens," he said.

Rushing echoed Trulove's remarks, as did the other mayors. He said Airway Heights is experiencing 25,000 – 30,000 calls for service a year, and needs three additional police officers. The city's Fire Department needs new equipment.

"Currently, we have 39 turnouts to be replaced," Rushing said. "That's a cost of nearly $80,000. Where does that money come from? It comes from other departments. They (state) need to start giving some of that back."

Condon said the mayors and other local elected leaders plan to make many trips to Olympia over the coming weeks and months the Legislature is in session to meet with lawmakers and reinforce the necessity of restoring revenue sharing. Some of their lobbying efforts will also focus on revenue sharing from marijuana sales, something promised by passage of Initiative 502 legalizing the drug for recreational use.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].