Proposed house budget allocates $20 million fewer locally than senate

Mar. 29—The Washington House of Representatives on Monday released its proposed capital budget for the 2023-2025 biennium, which includes nearly $80 million in funding for projects in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties, proposing about $20 million fewer, in total, for the two counties combined than the Senate's budget one week ago.

The budget is still subject to changes as it moves through both houses of the Legislature and then to the governor's desk for approval before the state's fiscal year begins July 1.

The House proposed slightly more than $45 million of support for Grays Harbor County and $34 million in funds for Pacific County, part of $230 million allocated between the 19th and 24th legislative districts — about $70 million short of what the Senate proposed for the two coastal districts.

Despite slightly less proposed local funding from the House, money for two high-profile projects remained intact — $18.5 million for the North Shore Levee Project for Aberdeen and Hoquiam, as well as nearly $12 million for Quinault relocation.

Due to rising seas and severe coastal weather caused by climate change, the Quinault Indian Nation plans to relocate the Queets village in the northern part of the reservation, to which $9 million is allocated. While that project is still in the planning stages, the Taholah relocation project in the southern part of the reservation is further along, and would receive $2.6 million to finance a new water pump.

Relocation funding is included under the Tribal Climate Pass-Through Grants category, to which the House added two additional items not included in the Senate's proposal: a $300,000 marine climate change assessment and $150,000 for architectural drawings of a new Quinault museum.

The House budget, however, proposes $1 million for an Upper Quinault River restoration project, while the Senate proposed twice that much for the same project.

In Aberdeen, the Port of Grays Harbor's Terminal 4 expansion project would see a $3.5 million boost under the proposed House budget, money not allocated by the Senate one week ago. The Aberdeen Community Center would also see a $165,000 roof replacement.

Elsewhere, House funding for two local fish passage projects at Damon and Newskah creeks — a total of about $1.3 million — mirrors the proposed funding from the Senate.

The two budgets also lined up with respect to Montesano-area environmental funding, both allocating $1.6 million in support to the Montesano Community Forest and almost $3 million to a Lake Sylvia culvert replacement.

The Polson Heritage Forest and a planned skatepark in Westport will receive about $500,000 apiece under both proposed budgets.

While the Senate's budget included a quarter million dollars in rehabilitation money for the Grays Harbor County Courthouse, that item was omitted from the House's budget.

Money for capital improvements to local schools was generally the same between the two budgets. Like the Senate, the House proposed $5 million for the Raymond School District under a "small district and state tribal compact schools" grant, and another $300,000 to South Bend School District toward an early learning facility. A slew of school districts in Grays Harbor and northern Pacific counties also received allocations for planning grants: Cosmopolis, Raymond, South Bend, North Beach, Lake Quinault, Satsop and Wishkah Valley.

Grays Harbor College was also allocated $5.4 million for minor works improvements.

Local historic buildings would get a boost under both budgets: $75,000 for the McCleary Museum, $155,000 to the Polson Museum, and a little more than $200,000 for the "purchase, design and consultation of a museum building" in Grays Harbor County.

The SeaMar Community Health Clinic in Elma would also see $187,000 under both budgets.