A short legislative session mired by lower revenues is facing Washington state lawmakers and the city of Kelso's wish list.
That's what Gordon Thomas Honeywell State Lobbyist Amina Teouri told the Kelso City Council at its Nov. 4 meeting.
The 60-day session is set to run from Jan. 12 to March 12.
Rural designation
Teouri said a main focus for Kelso will be updating the state's definition of rural density to again include Cowlitz County, which enables the area to receive certain funding blocked from urban counties like King.
The state defines a rural county as having fewer than 100 people per square mile or an area smaller than 225 square miles. Cowlitz County surpassed the population criteria in 2025, though is larger than the size requirement at about 1,141 square miles.
Teouri, who also works with the city of Longview, said that city is seeking the designation to rise from 100 to 125 people per square mile.
Kelso Councilmember Mike Karnofski added the state could also change the designation to require a county to include a city of at least 60,000 people before it's considered urban. This would exclude Cowlitz County, as the most populated city, Longview, holds about 38,000 people.
Karnofski said Cowlitz County "just bumped over the limit" because residents are so concentrated.
"We certainly aren't an urban county, when you look at the rest of the urban counties around the state," said Karnofski. "That's why we're asking to have the law changed and either bump that up or somehow do what we believe is equitable."
Rural counties in Washington can collect a sales and use tax of up to 0.09% to fund economic development and affordable housing projects. That tax is subtracted from other sales taxes required by the state, meaning the total tax paid by consumers stays the same.
Dredging the Cowlitz River
Teouri said another main focus for Kelso will be ensuring dredging on the Cowlitz River occurs to protect the city's water source.
The city switched from drawing water from the Cowlitz River to a Ranney Collector Well system in 1979, Kelso Public Works Manager Devin Mackin previously told The Daily News. Ranney wells collect naturally filtered groundwater using pipes that extend out under a riverbed.
The switch aimed to create a more consistent water supply, not as vulnerable to seasonal changes in water level, contamination and natural disasters, but when Mount St. Helens blew one year later, fine sediment deposited on the riverbed began to slow the percolation of water into the intake pipes.
That problem continues today, forcing the city to dredge above the intakes, buy water from Longview and refurbish the system, the latter of which cost the city about $1 million in 2024.
Councilmember Brian Wood said at the Nov. 4 meeting that dredging is also important to prevent local flooding.
Karnofski added it's crucial to bring up what is essentially a federal concern to state lawmakers.
"That is more of a federal issue, but I think keeping that issue in front of the state is important, because we sort of get forgotten in Southwest Washington," he said.
Deficits
Teouri also outlined the revenue issues facing the state.
She said the latest state revenue forecast in September showed a deficit. Experts expect the largest will be seen in the operating budget, with a roughly $900 million deficit over the next four years.
Due to the 6-cent increase to the state's gas tax, which took effect in July 2025 to make up for a projected $1 billion shortfall, Teouri said it's unlikely more revenue for the transportation budget will be passed this session.
The capital budget tends to be the most stable, but it is still limited, she added, and awards last session were extremely competitive.
The Association of Washington Cities, a nonprofit that represents Washington cities and towns at the state Legislature, adopted in September its 2026 priorities to include more investment in affordable housing and finding increased state support and funding for defense services for defendants who cannot afford attorneys.
The latter issue is also affecting Kelso. At the Nov. 4 meeting, the council unanimously approved on first reading $604,000 in additional funds to the 2025 budget, which includes $142,000 in increased costs for public defense and prosecution.
