index

Washougal Council no longer committing to downtown revitalization

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:49:59 +0100

In an article written Friday By Marissa Harshman of the Columbian

www.columbian.com

“The Washougal City Council plans to do away with a resolution pledging its commitment to revitalize downtown. But Mayor Sean Guard said the move does not mean the city is backing out if its promise to give the area a face-lift.

Instead, he said, repealing the resolution will remove restrictions on commercial businesses trying to locate in Washougal.

The resolution was passed in September 2005, when the city had placed a strong emphasis on rejuvenating the downtown area. To encourage downtown business growth, the city committed, by resolution, to not rezone industrial and residential land for commercial uses anywhere outside of the downtown area.

Since the resolution’s passage, the city has missed opportunities to bring commercial businesses to Washougal because of the restrictions, Guard said. That, he said, is why the council is moving forward to repeal the resolution.

“To me, it’s one of those no-brainers,” Guard said. “Why would you forsake the rest of the city for one small area?”

The council will accept public testimony on the issue at its meeting March 15.

As part of its commitment to revitalize downtown, the city planned two phases of upgrades. The work included expanding Reflection Park, burying utility lines, installing lights, sprucing up storefronts and landscaping. The first phase of work — on A, B and C streets from 15th to 18th streets — was completed in 2007, said Jeff Guard, who served as mayor when the resolution was passed. Jeff Guard is Sean Guard’s older brother.

The second phase, which was to extend the work from 18th Street to at least 20th Street, was never done, Jeff Guard said. Planning for the second phase was supposed to begin as soon as ground broke on phase one, but the project never moved forward, he said.

Jeff Guard was replaced by former Mayor Stacee Sellers before construction began in 2006.

The result, Jeff Guard said, is a downtown area that looks half remodeled. Some downtown business owners in the phase-two area consider themselves “old-town” downtown and refer to the revitalized area as “new-town” downtown, Jeff Guard said.

“They feel like, ‘We got left out,’” he said of business owners. “And I don’t blame them.”

Sean Guard said the city made a pledge to the business and property owners to revitalize all of downtown and he intends to fulfill the commitment. But, he said, doing so may take time and require several stages and will depend on funding.

Jeff Guard said he supports the council’s decision to repeal the current resolution.

“We used that as a quite recognizable statement that we were going to focus on downtown,” Jeff Guard said. “It was never meant to be a forever type of thing.”

Jeff Guard said the change will encourage business growth in other areas of town, such as E Street, which was always intended to be a commercial corridor.

A few commercial businesses have inquired about moving to Washougal but needed plots of land larger than downtown could accommodate, according to the city. As a result of the policy, one business’ rezone request was denied and two other businesses did not submit applications.

Sean Guard said repealing the resolution is one way the city can become more business-friendly.

“We’re not giving up on downtown,” he said. “But we also have to give attention to other parts of town as well.”

Castillo Begins his Congressional Campaign with Negative Attacks against Herrera

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:02:36 +0100

In an audio call from the “less than professional” David Castillo campaign, the audio recordings begin by spewing his slime attacks against Jaime Herrera. Pitching himself as a man of integrity, experience and leadership, he came out of the gate showing his character flaws today.

According to his last FEC report Castillo has taken special interest money for his campaign, yet attacks Herrera for raising money from special interest groups.

Castillo is not from Clark County he is from Olympia

Clark County makes up 50% of the vote in the 3rd District - Olympia style slime politics.

Negative politics never win elections but since no one knows him or his lack of credibility, guess he’ll try anything.

With all the dishonesty in Congress now, do we really want someone like Castillo?

Click here for audio recording:

Governor pushes aside the Will of the people

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:04:24 +0100

This has been an unfortunate week for the taxpayers of this state. Yesterday, the governor signed Senate Bill 6130 into law. This suspends the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2007 (I-960). I fought against this legislation and joined my Republican colleagues and moderate Democrats in voting against it. With the will of the voters pushed aside, Democrats are now free to raise your taxes.

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats shared their 2010 supplemental operating budget and it included $918 million in new tax increases. A 0.3 percent sales tax increase is part of their plan. You can find more information below.

Also on Tuesday, House Democrats unveiled their supplemental operating budget. Their plan includes $857 million in new tax increases, but they cancelled a news conference yesterday that would have revealed what taxes they would raise.

It is hard to say what new tax increases Southwest Washington families, individuals and businesses will have to endure when it is all said and done. But it is safe to assume it will be in the neighborhood of $1 billion. This approach will only hurt our economy more and push our serious budget problems down the road.

I will continue to advocate for: no tax increases; responsible state spending; priorities of government; and reform in our budget process. There are solutions on the table that could be voted on in the remaining days of the legislative session.

The bottom line is we must be accountable and transparent with tax dollars, and put our budget on a path of sustainability. Olympia needs to break from the status quo and belief that the only way to create new revenue is to raise taxes. More taxes will only put more people out of work. If the state wants to create revenue, it should stop reaching into its citizens’ pockets for more money, and instead let them keep their money to help create jobs.

Jaime Herrera
State Representative
herrera.jaime@leg.wa.gov
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/herrera/
(360) 786-7850

House Democrats’ supplemental operating budget

To address the state’s $2.7 billion budget shortfall, House Democrats want to raise taxes, rely on federal dollars and transfer funds from other dedicated state accounts. They propose spending nearly $31 billion, leaving only $269 million in reserves. While they still have not unveiled what taxes they plan to increase, here is a breakdown of their proposal:

$857 million in new tax increases;
$641 million in federal dollars;
$236 million in budget transfers;
$653 million in state spending cuts; and
$311 million from state reserves.

Senate Democrats’ proposed tax increases

Here is a snapshot at the new tax increases Senate Democrats are proposing:

Limit or repeal tax incentives (Senate Bill 6873): $518 million
0.3 percent sales tax increase: $313 million
$1.00 per pack cigarette tax increase: $86 million
Total tax increases proposed: $918 million (2009-11); $2 billion (2011-13)

Shame on Mike Nerland

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:16:27 +0100

Banners and flyers met Camas school employees on their way to work today. Seems at least some people aren't happy with the Camas School District's choice of construction contractors...so Mike Nerland gets the blame for "desecration of the American way of life". .. Sure is an interesting way to put a company out of business....blame the school superintendent ....so will the school district bow to the extortion tactics of the Council for Carpenters?

Russell Exits 3rd District Congressional Race, To Run for 18th District State Representative ...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:56:20 +0100

WASHOUGAL- Jon Russell, Republican Candidate in Washington's 3rd Congressional District is announcing his departure from that race. In doing so, he is giving his endorsement for that race to State Representative Jaime Herrera. He will be formally announcing his candidacy for Washington State's 18th Legislative District on March 8th in his hometown of Washougal.

In making this announcement, Russell said, “I started this race for U.S. Congress in June of 2009. Since that time I have met the most wonderful people across Southwest Washington, from Long Beach to Packwood, from Camas to Olympia. The stories I've learned, of personal success in the face of adversity, have inspired and encouraged my heart in the midst of our present tumultuous times.

Unfortunately, with the announcement of Congressman Baird not seeking another term, coupled with State Representative Jaime Herrera entering the race, there has been a dramatic negative shift in our fundraising ability. Many of my supporters have been torn in their loyalties between Representative Herrera and me. I know that we are close enough on almost every issue, with the exception of term-limits, which I fully support. I have confidence in her to make the right decisions on our behalf in Washington D.C. I encourage my supporters to rally behind Jaime in her bid for Congress.”

In regards to his 18th District Legisaltive race, Russell Continued…

"As the owner of an urgent and family care clinic, I know that I can have a direct impact on how health care is provided in our State. And, as an entrepreneur whose business has hired employees in the midst of the current recession, I know what it will take to get Clark County and Cowlitz County back to work.

As Mayor Pro-Tem of Washougal's City Council, I understand the importance of working with local governments in the 18th Legislative District to eliminate the unfunded mandates that drive up the cost of government and necessitate increases, including the water rates and sewer rates levied against citizens.

As a City Legislator, I have cut property taxes. I've also sponsored e-Verify, to eliminate the hiring of illegal immigrant labor by our city. And, I have voted against the use of eminent domain, to protect personal property rights. I am ready to take on the role of State Legislator, with the support of the people of the 18th District."

Jon is the owner of Columbia Gorge Medical Center, an Urgent and Family Care Clinic. He serves as Mayor Pro Tem on the Washougal City Council. He was appointed in 2006 and retained in 2007 with 72% of the vote and & was the top vote getter in 2009 even though he ran unopposed.

Taxpayer Protection Law I-960 in Jeopardy!

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:45:26 +0100

Thank you to those of you who contacted Senate leaders to tell them not to gut Initiative 960, the initiative that protects taxpayers by requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to raise taxes. Now, we in the House have received this legislation -- Senate Bill 6130. And we will not do so quietly.

I just came out of a meeting with Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) and Minority Leader Richard DeBolt (R-Chehalis), along with my fellow Republican Floor Leader Charles Ross (R-Naches). We communicated to Speaker Chopp, in no uncertain terms, that we would not make this debate an easy one. The will of the majority of Washingtonians is to keep I-960 in place to guard against onerous tax increases.

UPDATE: The Democrat leadership has just brought Senate Bill 6130 to the House floor for debate. I am standing with my Republican colleagues to oppose this bill and demand that our state government produce a fiscally-sound budget that finds efficiencies and cuts spending, rather than ask taxpayers to bail out legislators’ bad spending habits. I will do all I can to stand against this job-killing measure, including offering an amendment to reinstate the citizens’ advisory vote provisions of I-960.

This debate will likely be a long one and if you are interested in watching, please tune into TVW. To find your local TVW station, click here. Or, log on to the TVW Web site to watch the floor session online here.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at anytime if I can ever be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Jaime Herrera
State Representative
herrera.jaime@leg.wa.gov
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/herrera/
(360) 786-7850

WA. STATE Democrats trying to over-ride voter approved tax limits

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:10:18 +0100

Majority party in Olympia sets the stage for tax increases

Dear Friends and Neighbors of Camas - Washougal,

The Washington State Senate has introduced a bill that affects voter-approved Initiative 960. The legislation, Senate Bill 6843, was just introduced today and is already scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee this afternoon at 1:30 p.m

The voters approved Initiative 960 in 2007. The Initiative requires any tax increase to be approved by either a 2/3 vote of the Legislature or by a vote of the people. Senate Bill 6843 would strip away those requirements and make it much easier for the Legislature to raise taxes.

Senate Bill 6843 is sponsored by Sen. Margarita Prentice from the South Seattle/Renton area. The bill would suspend the protections voters approved in 2007 when they (overwhelmingly in the 18th District) passed I-960. In essence, the majority party will use a SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE to do away with the TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE REQUIREMENT to raise taxes!

The following Senators are sponsoring Senate Bill 6843:

Sen. Margarita Prentice - (360) 786-7616

Sen. Ed Murray - (360) 786-7628

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles - (360) 786-7670

Sen. Debbie Regala - (360) 786-7652

Sen. Darlene Fairley - (360) 786-7662

Sen. Kevin Ranker - (360) 786-7678

Sen. Joe McDermott - (360) 786-7667

Sen. Adam Kline - (360) 786-7688

Sen. Karen Keiser - (360) 786-7664

You also need to know about House Bill 3176 which would be used to raise taxes once Senate Bill 6843 passes the Legislature. House Bill 3176 is 90 pages long and contains between $250-$300 million in tax and fee increases.

The following legislators are sponsoring House Bill 3176:

Rep. Ross Hunter - (360) 786-7936

Rep. Bob Hasegawa - (360) 786-7862

Rep. Mark Ericks - (360) 786-7900

Rep. Steve Conway - (360) 786-7906

Rep. Larry Springer - (360) 786-7822

I would encourage 18th District residents to voice their opinions as soon as possible as both these bills appear to be on a “fast track” through the legislative process.

I want you to know that I am adamantly opposed to both of these bills. I do not believe the Legislature should engage in backdoor maneuvers to thwart the will of the people. And I do NOT believe that raising taxes is the answer to our state’s spending problem. I hope you will join me in actively working against these two proposals.

Sincerely,

Rep. Ed Orcutt, 18th District and

Jaime Herrera
State Representative
herrera.jaime@leg.wa.gov

http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/herrera

(360) 786-7850

The State Auditor’s Office today published two audit reports of K-12 school districts in ...

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:56:09 +0100

The State Auditor’s Office today published two audit reports of K-12 school districts in Washington.

We examined the Learning Assistance Program for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. The program provides support for students in kindergarten through 12th grade who need assistance with reading, writing and mathematics. Funding is primarily based on a school district’s poverty level. LAP funding increased from $6 million during the 1979-80 school year to $94 million for 2007-08, when nearly 98,000 students were served.
http://www.sao.wa.gov/AuditReports/AuditReportFiles/ar1002985.pdf

We reviewed the three areas that represent 70 percent of school district funding in Washington: employees' education and experience (staff mix), enrollment and transportation. The fiscal year 2008 apportionment report summarizes our audit results in those areas. http://www.sao.wa.gov/EN/Audits/LocalGovernment/Schools/Documents/Apportionment_report_FY08.pdf

Camas School District Levy Explained

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:14:27 +0100

Recently I submitted some questions to Camas School District Superintendent Mike Nerland to help me understand the upcoming CSD levy. One question was a concern about an apparent contradiction of CSD documents that has contributed to the confusion of many voters. Secondly, as a taxpayer, I very interested to see HOW my tax dollar is spent - what percentage id allocated towards basic education and teachers vs. what I consider non-essentials such as athletics.

Mr. Nerland has been out of town with family health issues and directed me to Ina Evers-Martin, Director of Business Services for the CSD. Ina also played a key role in authoring the current levy. I was pleased to receive a very detailed response from Ina and the speed and openness in which she replied.

Q. How will Levy dollars be allocated?

The following table illustrates how the levy dollars are spent during the 09-10 school year:

Basic Education: certificated, classified staff, principals $3,562,866 35.3%

General Support: Central Administration, Custodial, Maintenance,

Utilities, Insurance, Grounds, Technology, Motor Pool, 2,353,570 23.3%

Special Education 1,293,885 12.8%

Pupil Transportation 1,180,062 11.7%

Athletics 963,332 9.5%

Certificated Staff Development 453,890 4.5%

Text Adoptions 240,000 2.4%

Bilingual Program 26,406 .3%

PSE Staff Development 10,000 0.1%

Learning Assistance 9,578 0.1%

Secretarial Staff Development 8,549 0.1%

TOTAL LEVY 10,102,138 100.0%

Allocation of percentages is currently being worked on for 2010-11 but is expected to be about the same. She noted that “If the state does indeed eliminate I-728 and the K-4 enhancement dollars, we may see a greater percentage of the levy utilized to retain teachers and a smaller percentage in other areas”.

According to the Camas School District "Budget Summary Fiscal Year 2009-10" prepared by Director of Business Services Ina Evers-Martin the 2010 General fund levy is $2.49 per thousand dollars property value.

According to the "Budget Summary" produced by the CSD contradicts the FAQ brochure mailed to voters, the expiring levy is $2.49/$1,000 total tax collected = $9,542,304.

The Mailed FAQ states the expiring levy is being assessed at $2.68/$1,000 totaling $10,102,138

Q. Which source of information is correct? The CSD Budget report or the CSD's Q&A Mailer?

According to Martin “Last July, when our budget was adopted, the 2010 approved levy in the amount of $10,111,289 was rolled back to the estimate of the levy lid calculated by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to $9,542,304. A school district can only collect 24% of the sum of the state and federal funding it receives in the previous year. So, when the budget was adopted, we rolled back the levy to that estimate, knowing we might have to re-certify the levy when the actual levy lid figures were released by the state in October 2009. The actual levy lid which was released by OSPI in October was $10,102,138. Since the approved levy is higher than this amount, we re-certified the 2010 levy to the levy lid amount of $10,102,138.

At budget time in July of 2009, I also estimated that the levy would cost the individual tax payer $2.49 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, not knowing that our total assessed values would drop by 17.6%.

In December 2009 the actual assessed values were released by the assessor’s office. I originally estimated that the owner of a $300,000 home would pay 3000 x $2.49=$747.00 in 2010. After the drop in assessed value to this $300,000 home, the new value of the home is $247,200. This also means that the individual cost per $1,000 must increase, since the school levies are for a set amount. The rate per $1,000 is now $2.68—the rate necessary to generate the fixed amount of $10,102,138. Again, the rate will fluctuate depending on changes in assessed value, but the total dollars collected remain fixed. The current cost to my example tax payer is 2472 x $2.68=$663, which is less than the original estimate because of the drop in assessed value. This is, of course, based on average values for the Camas School District. Remember that assessed values across our district do not adjust consistently. Some values drop more and some less—contributing to some variance in overall tax amounts for similar houses.

When a school district passes a voter-approved tax, whether levy or bond, we must put before the voters a total collection amount (and an estimation of what the tax rate will be). This means that the district will collect exactly that approved amount, regardless of increases or decreases to property values. Each year the county auditor sets the tax rate for our M & O levy based on overall home values within our school district boundaries. Thus, the 2009 assessed value is the basis for the 2010 collection. A few years ago, when property values in Camas were skyrocketing and new home construction had peaked, people would comment to me that the district must be in good financial shape as they expected we were collecting more Maintenance and Operations (M & O) levy dollars due to the fact that so many new people were moving to the area. The truth of the matter is that while property values were going up, the M & O tax rate for homeowners was going down, and the district was collecting the same amount of money voters had approved in the last election cycle. Consequently, even though our enrollment continued to grow, we had to do rely on the previously approved levy amount. Now, as we’ve seen property values drop for a couple of years, the M& O tax “rate” has been increased to compensate for this—still generating that fixed amount in the original levy. Regardless, we still only receive the total dollar amount the voters approved back in 2006.

When you look at our Q&A flyer, you will see that the rate for 2010 is $2.68. The rates for 2011 – 2013 are estimates based on a modest growth of assessed values and a modest growth in student enrollment. If the estimated levy is higher than the 24% levy lid, by law we have to roll back the levy to that lid”.

Probably more information than you wanted to know, but I think it is important to know this BEFORE casting your vote.

-Gary

E Street Councilman “Holdout” Seeks Your Opinion

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:09:40 +0100

At the 25 January City Council Workshop, a majority of council members indicated support for a scaled-down version of the E Street project that:

1. Deletes the roundabout at 17^th and E Streets.

2. Installs a better coordinated traffic signal at 17^th & E Streets.

3. Completes curbs and sidewalks along the length of E Street.

4. Improves school crossing safety at Hathaway School (20^th & E).

5. Delays a variety of storm water improvements along E Street.

6. Includes the E Street Road Diet for a minimum period of five years:

A. Reduces four travel lanes to two (one in each direction).

B. Adds a center turn lane for left turns.

C. Adds bicycle lanes on each side of E Street.

7. Takes advantage of $6,000,000 in federal and state grants.

8. Limits city contributions to the project.

9. Still requires use of eminent domain to acquire project property.

As the lone council holdout vote in opposition to the Road Diet on E Street, I need your feedback. Would you please send an email to my city account at dshoemaker@ci.washougal.wa.us telling me whether you:

1. Agree with the scaled-down E Street project, OR

2. Disagree with the scaled-down E Street project.

Although it is not absolutely necessary, it would also help if you would provide your reasoning for your position. I want to understand.

The Council will be voting Monday 1 February to authorize the Director of Public Works to solicit construction bids. Unfortunately, deleting the Road Diet from the project would result in the loss of over $2,000,000 in grant funding. The Hathaway School crossing improvements have separate funding and would be completed no matter what the Council decides on the E Street Project. I could use your best thinking on the issue.

Anyone wishing to address the Council on this issue will have the opportunity during the first public comment period of Monday’s meeting. The first public comment period is early in the meeting, before the vote on the project.

-Dave Shoemaker Washougal City Councilman Position 6