HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2013-047 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. _ 2013 352
CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to:
Originator: Kremen 10/24/2013 11/12/2013 Council
Division Head:
Dept.Head: 3
Prosecutor:
Purchasing/Budget:
Executive:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
Joint Resolution Supporting WSAC Fiscal Sustainability Initiative
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed resolution
SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO
SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public
hearing,you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. I
Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.)
At the last Legislative Steering Committee meeting,several members expressed an interest in adopting a resolution endorsing the Fiscal Sustainability
Initiative. Such resolutions will be helpful to the effort. Once approved,a copy will be forwarded to WSAC(Washington State Association of Counties). '
COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION:
11/12/2013: Council Approved 6-0, Kremen
absent Res. 2013-047
Related County Contract#: Related File Numbers: r Ordinance or Resolution
Number: Res. 2013-047
Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing
Ion the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us/council.
I WSAC Fiscal Sustainability Initiative #4 SPONSORED BY: Kremen
2 PROPOSED BY: Kremen
3 INTRODUCTION DATE: November 12, 2013
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6 RESOLUTION NO. 2013-047
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8 JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY
9 EXECUTIVE SUPPORTING THE WASHINGTON STATE ASSOCIATION OF
10 COUNTIES (WSAC) FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
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12 WHEREAS, county governments across the State of Washington are facing a
13 financial and service delivery crisis; and
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15 WHEREAS, the cost of providing essential public services is outpacing the
15 growth of revenue, leaving counties with few options other than cutting services to the
17 public; and
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19 WHEREAS, under the Constitution and laws for the State of Washington, many
20 state programs are administered and carried out by counties for residents of both
21 incorporated and unincorporated areas including; administering and operating civil and
22 criminal justice systems; running elections; assessing and collecting property taxes to
23 support schools, cities, fire districts and other functions in addition to county
24 operations; developing plans including Growth Management and Shoreline Management
25 plans; delivering public health services as well as programs for the mentally ill,
26 developmentally disabled; and addressing the need for low-income housing; and
27
28 WHEREAS, counties also provide primary government services for residents of
29 unincorporated areas including law enforcement, transportation (both roads and
30 transit), land use and zoning, parks, animal control, stormwater control; and
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32 WHEREAS, unlike states and cities, counties are financed primarily by two
33 sources of revenue: property taxes and sales and use taxes. However, property tax
34 growth is capped 1% plus the value of new construction, and sales tax collections have
35 become increasingly challenging with the Growth Management Act allowing cities to
36 annex large tax-paying businesses into their jurisdictions; and
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38 WHEREAS, in addition to revenue limitations, counties are challenged with a
39 host of regulatory requirements that are increasingly complex and expensive,
40 expanding liability costs, and increasing employment costs, regardless of a county's
41 ability to pay; and
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43 WHEREAS, WSAC launched its Fiscal Sustainability Initiative in an effort to
44 educate lawmakers about the services counties provide, advance new revenue
45 generation and cost containment options to improve the fiscal health of county
46 governments, and to advance legislation in support of those options.
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48 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council and
49 the Whatcom County Executive hereby express support for the Washington State
1 Association of Counties Fiscal Sustainability Initiative, and a willingness to work with
2 WSAC and other county officials across the state to advance the initiative.
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5 APPRO D'tbjs 11th day of November 2013.
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o
8 J•t� 1iArG .'.0 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
9 ATT . - � � ,: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
11 .■- KNIFE /C e_- �t--1. k-
12 Dana Br. r:: • it Ckrk Kathy Kershner, Council Chair
G. ...°
14 APR ED �tol �Fo �-�c ����
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16 �' / I/ ii
17 C vil Deputy Prosecutor Jack Lou s, - utiv-
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19 jApproved ( ) Denied
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22 Date: __ //—/q—/3
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