Renton secured about $1 million for two local projects in Olympia this year, but one of the city’s top-priority ask, state help funding indigent defense, went nowhere. City lobbyist David Foster and Government Affairs Manager Eric Perry briefed the Committee of the Whole on Monday about what passed, what didn’t, and the line-up for 2027.
Renton, WA— The 2026 Washington legislative session was a 60-day “budget year,” meaning lawmakers focused mainly on adjusting the two-year budgets they passed in 2025. They had a lot to work with, and not enough money to do it.
Foster told Council that the past three years have been hard for state funding across all three budgets: operating, capital, and transportation. The pressures: revenue shortfalls, inflation, federal funding uncertainty, and global conflicts. Perry noted that all three budgets did grow from last year, just at different rates. None of those budgets count on revenue from the new state income tax on millionaires (SB 6346), which faces likely court challenges. Depending on how those cases land, Foster said the tax would not start collecting until 2029.
What Renton Got
Two Renton projects landed direct state funding:
- $500,000 for the Renton Resource Center, including a $206,000 reappropriation from the housing and repair program. Perry said the city worked to get a carveout from that program because the funding requirements were “a little different” than the typical.
- $500,000 for SE 168th Street bike lanes and safe crossings, with scope revisions that let the city deliver the project in line with community feedback.
Foster credited 11th Legislative District legislators for pushing hard on Renton-specific projects. He also got in a friendly jab at Perry over how long the funding has been bouncing around: “Eric has assured me, since we’ve moved this money three times now, that this will be the last time we ask for movement and it’s gonna get spent.” Perry’s reply: “We will spend that money.”
What Renton Didn’t Get
Indigent defense, legal representation the city is required to provide for people who can’t afford their own attorney, was one of Renton’s top stated priority for the session, and it went unaddressed. No new funding for county and city-managed indigent defense services. No policy clarification on the state Supreme Court’s authority to set caseload standards. No statewide task force to recommend a sustainable path forward.
The city had pushed to use revenue from the proposed millionaires tax to fund indigent defense, if the tax survived its court challenges. Perry was clear: the city did not oppose the tax itself, only asked for a slice of the revenue to be allocated to indigent defense if it passed. That allocation strategy failed in the House.
Two other Renton transportation projects also missed out: funding for the N. 8th Street Practical Solutions process and the NE 44th Gateway Improvements Project.
On the public safety side, new rules came down on Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), public records disclosure of ALPR data, police chief standards, use of police volunteers, and the use of face coverings by officers. Perry noted the face covering rule is more of a civil remedy than a law enforcement-driven policy. Medical liabilities for jails, another Renton priority, were not addressed.
Zoning and “One-Size-Fits-All”
A recurring theme this session: bills that override local zoning rules, known as state preemptions. Council discussed how preemptions can affect cities very differently depending on size and circumstance. Councilmember O’Halloran offered a half-joke: “I’d like to suggest one size does fit all if you use our model.” Council President Pérez later observed that the preemption bills seem aimed at cities that aren’t building enough housing, and that Renton, which is building, gets caught up in rules written for places that aren’t.
Two new preemptions passed: SB 6026 allows mixed-use developments in commercial zones, and HB 2266 allows STEP housing in any zone where residential or hotel uses are already permitted. Two others, preempting local rules on urban encampments (HB 2489) and allowing mobile dwellings on all residential lots (HB 1443), did not.
Sound Transit Frustration
Council’s frustration with Sound Transit was on full display. Renton residents pay Sound Transit taxes but have no light rail service and no plans for any.
“Sound Transit for us is just like an in-theory service we receive,” Pérez said. “It’s very frustrating for taxpayers in Renton to keep funding something we don’t see. When we ask for the bare minimum we need to collect money for 405, the answer is no.”
Pérez also pointed out a mismatch in pace: the state moves fast on housing and slow on transportation, leaving communities to grow without the transit to support them.
Councilmember O’Halloran asked about a proposed 75-year bond for Sound Transit. Perry said new federal authority allows for longer bonds, but Sound Transit’s use of that authority in Washington would require state approval. Foster clarified the bonding length would be “up to” 75 years, expanding beyond the current 30. The state did not authorize it this session.
Councilmember McIrvin raised the road usage charge, a per-mile fee being studied as a replacement for gas tax revenue as more drivers switch to electric vehicles, which is expected to return in the 2027 session. Foster expects it to be discussed, but could not predict whether it will pass. He also wanted the record clear that the state gas tax is not what’s driving current pump prices: “It’s static.”
Building Bridges to Olympia
Perry shared an idea that drew enthusiasm from the dais: bringing state legislators into local government for a closer look at how city operations actually work. Councilmember Rivera called it an “excellent idea.” Council discussed how state legislators with prior local government experience often see issues differently once they’re in Olympia, and how the composition of the legislature shapes the bills cities have to live with.
Looking Ahead
When Perry got to the 2027 outlook slide— federal uncertainty, economic pressures, global conflicts, state and regional tax burdens, resource constraints, elections, initiatives and referendums— he noted that “the only thing he changed was the year.”