The state capital budget OK’d by the Legislature late Thursday night will pay for more than $7 million in construction and renovation projects in the 45th district, which includes Woodinville and Duvall, as well as large parts of Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish.
45th-district state Reps. Roger Goodman and Larry Springer said the long-delayed budget was one of the best in their memories, and pointed to a number of significant investments.
“The budget allocates $3 million in repair and maintenance work at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. It pays for nearly $2 million in improvements to Northshore Athletic Fields and the Willows Road Regional Trail, which completes the hike and bike connection between the Cross Kirkland Corridor and Redmond.” Springer (D-Kirkland) said. “These and other projects will not only help improve the quality of life in the district, they’ll also create scores of family-wage jobs.”
Other significant funding streams created for district projects include more than $2 million for improvements at the aging 12-bed Woodinville Community Facility run by the Department of Social and Health Services, with much of the funding paying for upgrades in the security system; and $200,000 in repairs and maintenance at several Department of Wildlife sites throughout the district.
“This critical construction budget will make historical investments in school construction, community and technical colleges, affordable housing, and community behavioral health, as well as funding important local projects,” said Goodman (D-Kirkland). “I’m pleased that we could break through the gridlock to get this done, put people to work, and improve the quality of life in communities across the state.”
The capital budget was approved unanimously by the Senate and passed in the House with a 95-1 margin. A separate bill authorizing bond sales to provide funding for the budget passed out of both chambers with strong bipartisan support. Wasting no time, Gov. Jay Inslee signed both bills into law Friday (Jan. 19) afternoon.