SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., November 10, 2023—Snohomish County Council approved its 2024 Budget at a Public Hearing on Wednesday, November 8, including 23 amendments presented by council members. The $1.661 billion budget focusses on public safety, helping the vulnerable, protecting natural resources, and strengthening the economy, according to County Executive Dave Somers.
“Improving public safety; saving lives by helping our most vulnerable residents; preserving and protecting our natural resources; ensuring we grow wisely; strengthening our economy; and serving all of our community equitably,” were key priorities Executive Somers said.
On September 26, 2023, the council received the 2024 budget proposal from the Office of the Executive. In the following weeks, the council and staff reviewed the proposed budget.
A community budget forum was held on October 11 with a subsequent public hearing on October 24 open to the public. Discussions continued during legislative sessions on October 25 and November 1 to cover the council’s priorities and amendments introduced. The budget was then approved unanimously on November 8 by all five council members.
There were 22 action items in total at Wednesday’s meeting, each relating to a different Budget Ordinance. Despite some contention, 23 out of the 38 amendments passed.
“We appreciate the collaboration we have with the Executive and his staff,” said Snohomish County Council Chair Jared Mead. “The Council understands the hard work that goes into balancing the County’s many priorities.”
The approved 2024 budget also funded: the County Council, Paine Field Airport, the Departments of Emergency Management, Finance, Human Resources, Health, Human Services, Information Technology, Facilities & Fleet, Conservation and Natural Resources, Planning and Development Services, Public Works. the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office (both law enforcement and corrections), District Court, the Hearing Examiner’s Office, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the Office of the Public Advocate, the Office of Public Defense, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Treasurer, Office of Recovery and Resilience, the Office of Social Justice, and Superior Court.
2024 Snohomish County Budget Ordinances
Below are the ordinances voted on by Council:
General Property Tax Levy increase: Budget Ordinance 23-113, relating to Property Taxes, Fixing the 2024 General Property Tax Levy for Snohomish County and Preserving Future Levy Capacity.
The ordinance sets the 2024 estimated levy rate at .4956 cents per $1000 of assessed value with an estimated $105,521,352 in property tax revenues.
The ordinance passed unanimously by council.
Budget Ordinance 23-114, authorizes a 1% General Levy property tax increase which is the maximum manual increase allowed under current state law without either using bank capacity or a vote of the people.
The ordinance passed 3-2 with council members Sam Low and Nate Nehring opposing.
Road tax levy increases: The next two ordinances relate to a road tax levy and were submitted with Executive Somers’ recommended 2024 budget. Ordinance 23-115 fixes the road levy rate at .8299 with estimated road levy taxes of $75,666,943.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
Ordinance 23-116 authorizes a 1% road property tax levy increase in the amount of $722,090.
The ordinance passed 4-1 with all but Councilman Nehring voting in favor.
Conservation Futures Property Taxes: The next two ordinances were also submitted under the Executives recommended budget.
Ordinance 23-117 fixes the 2024 Conservation Futures Levy rate at .0216 cents with estimated conservation future levy taxes of $4,605,771.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
Ordinance 23-118 authorizes a 1% Conservation Futures Levy increase of $43,826.
The ordinance passed 3-2 with council members Nate Nehring and Sam low voting no.
Surface Water Management: Proposed Motion 23-423, approves the 2024 Surface Water Management Annual Construction Program which includes $21,985,701 of funding for various projects – an approximate $3 million increase from the previous year.
The motion passed unanimously.
Proposed Motion 23-424, approves the 2024 Surface Water Management Six-Year capital Improvement Plan which includes $132,645,184 in funding – an increase of $18,108,993 from the previous year.
The motion passed unanimously.
Transportation: Proposed Ordinance 23-119 approves the 2024 Annual Construction Plan for County Transportation Improvements. State law RCW.36.81.130 which requires each county to prepare and adopt a comprehensive transportation program which contains information on how each county will spend its funds on transportation projects – related to capacity, safety, bridges, neighborhood improvements, and non motorized transportation purposes. The statue further requires the county road engineer file with the county legislative authority for considering an adoption plan for laying out construction and maintenance of all county roads for the next year.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
Proposed Motion 23-425 adopts the 2024-2029 Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program which sets aside $293,800,000 in funding from the budget – a $28.7 million, or 11%, decrease from 2023.
The motion passed unanimously.
Solid Waste: Budget Motion 23-426 approves the 2024 Solid Waste Management Division Six-Year Capitol Improvement Plan. This plan includes projects related to capacity, safety, and system improvements. The proposed budget is $16.95 million – an $11 million increase from the 2023 budget.
The motion passed unanimously.
Budget Motion 23-427 adopts the 2024-2029 Solid Waste Management Division Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan with the proposed budget of $109.325 million – an $18 million an increase from 2023.
The motion passed unanimously.
Growth Management: Budget Ordinance 23-120, relating to the Growth Management Act, adopts the 2024-2029 Capital Improvement Program as part of the Snohomish County Capital Facilities Plan which budgets to ensure facilities like fire protection, surface water management, transportation, parks, recreational facilities, electric power, schools, public water supply, and wastewater systems are able to support population and employment growth.
An assessment conducted this year found that the CIP’s list of projects, revenues, and financing do sufficiently provide public facility capacity to serve households and growth.
There was a proposed amendment to this ordinance that would add text to the projects selected under each project district under the county city partnership projects.
The ordinance, and its amendment, passed unanimously.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Budget Motion 23-428 approves the 2024 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES) Grant Work Plan in the amount of $7,292,761 from 11 grants with a combined match of $1,250,261 for a total of $8,543,022.
The motion passed unanimously.
Budget Motion 23-429 approves the 2024 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Surface Water Management (SWM) Grant Work plan which includes $118,631,929 from 42 grants – $11,677,781 total amount matching funds from 12 out of the 42 grants which are new. Since many of these grants span a number of years only a portion of these grants are reflected in the 2024 budget.
The motion passed unanimously.
Department of Emergency Management: Budget Motion 23-430 approves the 2024 Department of Emergency Management Grant Work Plan, which contains $9,575,513 of grants funds – up 13% from 2023. It also includes $1.2 million of matching funds – up 24% from 2023 for 18 different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Health Department: Budget Motion 23-431 approves the 2024 Snohomish County Health Department Grant Work Plan which contains $30,953,340 of grant funds and $155,000 of matching funds for 40 different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Human Services Department:Budget Motion 23-432 approves the 2024 Human Services Department Grant Work Plan which contains $216,517,386 of grant funds – up 46% from 2023 – and $9,702,775 of matching funds – down 15% from 2023 – for 59 different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office:Budget Motion 23-433 approves the 2024 Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) Grant Work Plan which contains $8,242,191 in grant funds and $8,043 in matching funds for 8 different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Sheriff’s Office: Budget Motion 23-434 approves the 2024 Sheriff’s Office Grant Work Plan $3,983,000 in grant funds and $14,100 in matching funds for 13 different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Superior Court: Budget Motion 23-435 approves the 2024 Superior Court Grant Work Plan which contains $4,124,195 in grant funds and no matching funds for five different grants.
The motion passed unanimously.
Fleet Services Division rental rates: Budget Motion 23-436 approves the schedule of rental rates to be charged by Fleet Services Division in 2024. Snohomish County code 4.34.015 subsection 2 directs the Fleet Manager to prepare a schedule of rental rates to be forwarded to the county council for approval. This year the rates are proposed to increase by approximately 5% from last year.
The motion, and its substitute motion passed, unanimously
Other matters: Budget Ordinance 23-121, adopting the 2024 Budget and Making Appropriations for the Operation of County Agencies and Departments and Capital Improvements for the period beginning January 1, 2024, and ending December 31, 2024, also passed and Motion 23-475, establishing reimbursement allocations for Council office travel expenses in the 2024 Budget was approved.
2024 Snohomish County Budget amendments
Council members proposed a total of 38 amendments to the budget. The council discussed these amendments for nearly two hours, the bulk of the 3 hour meeting with some members disagreeing more than others. Despite some contention, 23 out of the 38 amendments passed. Below is a summary the proposed amendments and by whom:
- Amendment 1; Council amendment package to the 2024 executive recommended budget ordinance (Proposed by whole committee): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 2; Conditioning Agreements related to Affordable Housing and Behavioral Health (Proposed by Councilman Low): Removed by Councilman Sam Low
- Amendment 3; creating additional Housing programs for allocation of Affordable Housing and Behavioral Health Sales Tax funding (Proposed by Councilman Low): Passed 4-1 with Councilwoman Meghan Dunn voting no
- Amendment 4; Facilities New Start Center 6 FTE Funding (Proposed by Councilman Low): Passed 3-2 with Council members Meghan Dunn and Strom Peterson voting no
- Amendment 5; Adding 1 New FTE Park Rangers (Proposed by Councilman Low): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 6; Park Ranger Lord Hill Park (Proposed by Councilman Low): Removed by Councilman Sam Low since Amendment 5 failed
- Amendment 7; Lord Hill Parking Lot Improvements CIP Funding (Proposed by Councilman Low): Passed on consensus
- Amendment 8; Additional Entertainment Funding for Evergreen Fair (Proposed by Councilman Low): Passed 4-1 with Councilwoman Meghan Dunn voting no
- Amendment 9; DCNR-Fair Park Improvement Work Plan (Proposed by Councilman Low): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 10; Allocate funding in Non departmental for use on early learning research (Proposed by Council Chair Jared Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 11; Requirement for funding appropriated toward Early Learning Research (Proposed by Council Chair Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 12; Remove $50,000 professional services from Executive’s Office, Program 310 (Administration) (Proposed by Council Vice Chair Nate Nehring): Removed by Councilman Nate Nehring
- Amendment 13; Move $30k from Non departmental, Social Justice Initiatives to the
- Auditor’s Office for Spanish language voter pamphlets printing (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 14; Return funds from Special Revenue Fund 100 to General Fund to offset 1% property tax increase (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 15; : Remove Special Revenue Fund 100 expenditures and funding for Social Justice Initiatives; fund 2 two-year project positions in Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for Hate Crime positions (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Removed
- Amendment 16; Requirement for funding appropriated toward Social Justice Initiatives (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Removed
- Amendment 17; Shift 0.5 FTE from ASR9809R to ASR1211R (Proposed by Chair Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 18; Eliminate the additional $100,000 increase to OPD Conflict Panel for Felony Adult cases (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Passed 3-2 with Council members Meghan Dunn and Strom Peterson voting no
- Amendment 19; Remove the $247,891 increase to OPD Contempt of Court line (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 20; Add funding for an Executive Assistant under the County’s contract with the Public Defenders Association (Proposed by Councilwoman Meghan Dunn): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 21; Extend ARPA funding for 5.0 Attorney’s, 1.5 Legal Assistant’s, and 1.5 Investigator’s until the end of 2024 under OPD’s contract with the Public Defenders Association (Proposed by Councilwoman Dunn): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 22; Add $150,000 to OPD Expert Services (Proposed by Councilman Strom Peterson): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 23; OPD Expert Services (Proposed by Councilman Peterson): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 24; OPD Expert Services (Proposed by Councilman Nehring): Removed by Councilman Nate Nehring since amendment 23 passed
- Amendment 25; Add a new 1.0 regular Human Resources FTE to District Court (Proposed by Councilwoman Dunn): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 26; The Exec Rec budget funds two half time and one full time project FTE for six months out of the year, through a grant from AOC. This amendment would add an additional six months’ worth of funding to these project positions, funding them through the end of 2024 (Proposed by Councilwoman Dunn): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 27; Therapeutic Courts – Conditioning the additional six months of funding for grant funded project positions (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 28; Add 1.5 FTE Victim Witness Advocates, and associated funding, to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (Proposed by Councilman Strom Peterson): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 29; Victim Witness Advocate Services (Proposed by Councilman Peterson): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 30; Add six months of personnel and startup costs for 3.0 Deputy Sheriff’s which may be transferred to the Sheriff’s Office upon completion and in accordance with the associated budget condition (Proposed by Councilman Low): Failed 2-3
- Amendment 31; Additional Deputy Sheriff Funding (Proposed by Councilman Low): Removed by Councilman Sam Low since amendment 30 failed
- Amendment 32; Funding for a feasibility study on creating a Secure Withdrawal Management facility at the Snohomish County Jail and startup construction funds. This will be funded by CDMH Fund Balance and the allocation of Opioid Settlement dollars the County will receive in 2024 (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Passed 4-1with Councilwoman Dunn voting no
- Amendment 33; Secure Withdrawal Management and Stabilization – Jail Feasibility Study (Proposed by Vice Chair Nehring): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 34; Merge the Small Capital Projects into the County/City Partnership projects (Proposed by Chair Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 35; Return funds from Special Revenue Fund 100 to General Fund and program within non departmental Program 990 (Proposed by Chair Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 36; Requirement for funding appropriated toward Social Justice Initiatives (Proposed by Chair Mead): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 37; Add FTE and associated funding for PA Hate Crime prosecutions. These will be two year project positions (Proposed by council members Nehring and Peterson): Passed unanimously
- Amendment 38; Prosecuting Attorney – Hate Crimes (Proposed by council members Nehring and Peterson): Passed unanimously