Legislative Advocacy
Sustainable Policies, Sustainable Counties
Counties provide constitutionally and statutorily directed state services to all of Washington’s residents. The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) is working to secure clear and sustainable policies to provide all 39 counties with the foundation to provide sustainable service levels to every Washingtonian.
Our elected county officials provide direct services to citizens in support of their health, safety and financial well-being. This difficult time with unprecedented challenges necessitates a redefinition of “continuity of services”. WACO has worked with our members to identify what it takes / will take – including resource and legal/regulatory supports – to ensure service during this and future crises.
2026 Resources and Handouts
- WACO 2026 Legislative Priorities
- HB 1004 - Updating the Personal Property Tax Threshold (PDF)
- HB 2376 SB 6162 - Maintaining the Senior and Disabled Veteran Property Tax Relief Program (PDF)
- SB 5069 - State Printing of Primary Voter Pamphlet (PDF)
- HB 2341 SB 6130 - Celebrating National Voter Registration Day (PDF)
- HB 2543 - Align RCW with Updated Supreme Court Rules Regarding Exhibits (PDF)
- HB 2419 - Clerks Courthouse Safety Enhancement (PDF)
- HB 1002 - Access to PTSD Services (PDF)
- HB 2502 - Remove Local Sales Tax from Sales Tax Rebate for Renewable Energy Projects (PDF)
WACO Policy Platform
Autonomy of Elected Officials and Offices
WACO members are aware that the Washington State Constitution and RCW intend our roles are as independently elected officials to best ensure direct accountability to citizens. WACO supports maintaining the independent role of county elected officials. We are committed to operating in a non-partisan manner, collaborating across party lines and serving all with equal respect and courtesy.
Adequate Funding and Resources
WACO members believe that capacity to provide good service is key to citizen confidence in government. Proposed legislation affecting local elected officials and their offices must adequately and accurately consider the cost and administrative burden required to implement them well. WACO urges legislators to partner with us as legislative proposals are developed so we can assist in identifying what’s needed for their successful implementation. WACO advocates for strengthening the state’s system for producing local government fiscal notes and reducing the passage of bills with indeterminate cost. WACO advocates for adequate funding and resources for all new and existing services expected of us by the state. WACO supports establishing and maintaining strong partnerships with county legislative bodies, ensuring they are equipped with clear understanding of county elected official resource needs and join us in advocating for and securing them.
Operational Integrity and Maintaining the Value of Internal Controls
County elected officials believe in the value of maintaining internal controls throughout our departments using necessary policies and procedures to hold ourselves accountable to the public trust. Greater demand on our county elected official offices without commensurate funding, increases in remote workforce, and demand for increased remote access to services by citizens greatly challenges this. WACO opposes legislation and policy that compromises the integrity of the service we provide and diminishes our ability to maintain internal controls.
Courthouse Security and Safety
County elected officials agree that safety and security of their offices and staff is at increased risk. They respect the fact that counties vary in what they feel are appropriate responses to this increased risk and reject a “one size fits all” approach to this issue. All agree that additional resources are necessary to adequately ensure safety and security, regardless of approach.
WACO supports the establishment of model standards for counties to determine need for, and guide implementation of, appropriate security measures to ensure the safety of county elected official offices and staff. WACO advocates for adequate guidance and resources for counties to develop policies responsive to their differing needs and preferred approach, including rules related to the presence of firearms in and around county elected official offices and in field-based work. WACO further supports strong accountability for threats made against the safety of elected officials.
Technology
Technology has moved from a want to a need. But the reality is 68% of county elected officials reported in March 2020 that they lack adequate technology, particularly given the rising need for remote provision/access to services. County elected officials need up-to-date, secure technology to be able to carry out the responsibilities of their offices.
WACO urges state and local legislative authorities to provide adequate technology resources for county elected official offices. County elected officials further support legislation and initiatives to provide affordable broadband and internet access provided equitably to citizens statewide to enable them to access services.
Safe and Equitable Access to Local Government Services
County elected officials place a high value on excellence in customer service and believe that all citizens have the right to easily access local government services. COVID, technology limitations, geographic distance all necessitate expansion of traditional in-person courthouse services to include more online remote access.
WACO advocates for legislation and collaboration among public entities aimed at ensuring state and local funds provide adequate, equitable citizen access to internet-based services as well as resources to safe and conveniently provide necessary in-person services.
Recruiting and Retaining a Skilled and Effective Workforce for County Elected Officials
County elected officials have seen their job applicant pools shrink as wages have failed to keep pace with the private sector. In addition, with overall less longevity and more turnover in the workforce, training and retraining for specialized positions has become a greater expense and more difficult to access. In addition, as the demographics of our communities continue to diversify, county officials are committed to recruitment and hiring of staff that reflect the communities in which we live and serve.
County elected officials advocate for competitive wages for their staff and collaboration and funding support for adequate and accessible training programs. WACO further advocates for consideration of the workforce needs of our county elected officials’ offices in state-level workforce development initiatives and policies. This includes further development and incentives tied to diversifying the workforce and to specialized training in our postsecondary system.
WACO's 2026 Legislative Priorities
Updating the Personal Property Tax Threshold
(HB 1004) RCW has long provided relief for small businesses by exempting the first $15,000 in personal property from taxation, but this was established many years ago and no longer provides the intended relief. As a result, the purchase of one piece of equipment can mean a small business owner transitions from exempt to owing personal property taxes. For smaller businesses, the administrative cost of reporting is often higher than the tax owed, and for County Assessors the administrative cost for small accounts is greater than the tax revenue.
Updating the outdated personal property tax threshold from $15,000 to $50,000 will help small businesses and eliminate unnecessary administrative costs and burden for county assessors.
Maintaining the Senior and Disabled Veteran Property Tax Relief Program
(HB 2376 SB 6162) Over time, the legislature has updated the Senior and Disabled Veteran Property Tax Relief Program to ensure it is meeting its intended purpose of providing equitable, meaningful property tax relief and keeping seniors and disabled veterans in their homes. In order to keep the pace, this year’s proposal includes needed increases in qualifying income thresholds; a new, standard deduction option for determining disposable income, and exclusion of combat-related special compensation in determining disposable income.
These proposed adjustments to thresholds and changes in program administration will make it easier for a larger proportion of our seniors and disabled veterans to take advantage of this program, as intended.
State Printing of Primary Voters Pamphlets
(SB 5069) Currently the state is required to produce a voters’ pamphlet for general elections, but not for the primary elections in even- numbered years. While counties may choose to do so themselves and bill the state for their portion of a locally-produced pamphlet, the result is that the information received by voters varies by county, and the cost of to counties is collectively higher than if centrally produced and distributed at the state level.
Voters expect and rely upon the information provided in voter pamphlets. Having information on state-level candidates in primary elections should not differ depending on county. This proposal will result in equity of information received by voters and a more cost-effective means of getting it to them.
The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) joins with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and the Washington Association of County Auditors (WSACA) in support of this proposal.
Celebrating National Voter Registration Day
(HB 2341 SB 6130) RCW currently requires high school voter registration and education events occur annually on Temperance and Good Citizenship Day in January. This proposal would move this to occur on National Voter Registration Day in September to better align with national advocacy efforts already underway and streamline voter education and outreach efforts to achieve higher impact and lower cost.
Align RCW with Updated Supreme Court Rules Regarding Exhibits
(HB 2543) Supreme Court updated rules now require Clerks to provide copies of all documents and exhibits regardless of format. This includes color copies and photographs of cumbersome exhibits that cannot be color photocopied. These potentially costly new requirements are not included in RCW which authorizes Clerks fees. In addition, language regarding court exhibits is outdated (e.g. compact discs) and would be updated through this proposal.
This proposal will provide County Clerks with the resources to comply with this new Supreme Court requirement.
Clerks Courthouse Safety Enhancement
(SB 2419) County Clerks are the face of the Superior Court for parties with cases before it. Their names are on all court orders and parties often direct their anger regarding court decisions at them. Many Clerks have faced lawsuits as well as threats of violence and death to themselves and their families. Yet County Clerks are the only court or law enforcement employees not covered in RCW related to unlawful release of personally identifiable information and other protection statutes.
This proposal would simply add County Clerks and their staff to all other law and justice employees protected under RCW.
PTSD Services for Medical Death Investigation and Pathology Staff
(HB 1002) Current RCW defines certain mental health or disability conditions as an occupational disease for firefighters, law enforcement, and nurses. Every day, County Coroner and Medical Examiner investigation and pathology staff work on the very same cases that help trigger PTSD related conditions, yet these staff are not afforded the same occupational protections as their peers in the field.
Coroner/ME investigative and pathology staff must be able to access the same occupational services as their colleagues in the field to help prevent burn out, compounded mental health issues, and ongoing effects of PTSD.
Remove Local Sales Tax from Sales Tax Rebate for Renewable Energy Projects
(HB 2502) The promise of renewable energy projects to local communities is economic benefit. The reality is that depreciating personal property owned by energy companies is shifting the tax burden to local residents. Additionally, there are millions of dollars in lost local sales tax revenue due to state-established refunds. Together, these provisions in law are harming, not helping, local communities. State lawmakers may provide relief from state sales tax to incentivize these projects, but local communities need to decide for themselves the right balance of incentive and revenue.
This proposal retains the state’s ability to incentivize clean energy programs with a state sales tax refund, but allows local government discretion with regard to local sales tax refunds.
Klickitat County recently refunded nearly $1 Million in local sales tax revenue to a single project. This represented 27% of their annual budgeted sales tax revenue. From 2014-2019, Columbia County refunded 48% of sales tax collected. This is not just a small, rural county issue. As clean energy projects continue to grow statewide, more counties will be impacted without local discretion.
The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) joins with the Washington State Association of County Treasurers in supporting this proposal.