The Snoqualmie City Council, led by new Mayor James Mayhew and recently elected Mayor Pro Tem Jo Johnson, began the new year by updating the council’s legislative priorities for 2026. This priority list aligns with the council’s goals and priorities that guide internal decision-making. It will also be shared with Snoqualmie’s state legislators, who historically work to implement the priorities of cities within their jurisdictions.
On January 26, with approximately one-third of this state legislative session completed, Snoqualmie adopted its 2026 legislative priorities, including a new addition that, if enacted at the state level, could lead to higher property taxes for residents.
2026 Snoqualmie City Council Legislative Priorities
The council’s top two priorities remained intact:
- Securing funding to complete the Community Center Expansion Project, which would add a pool to the existing facility.
- Expanding Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) authority to fund affordable housing in Snoqualmie.
- Ensuring the jurisdiction transfer of Snoqualmie Parkway to WSDOT, which would shift future control and maintenance of the roadway to the state.
In the fourth slot is a new priority: increasing the property tax cap limit from 1% to 3% to stabilize city revenue to support community needs. During last year’s Washington State legislative session, House Bill 1334 was introduced to increase the property tax cap to 3%, but it did not advance out of committee. The same bill was reintroduced on January 12, 2026, during this current state legislative session. The next steps could include discussion by the House Finance Committee and a public hearing.
Three public safety items are also on Snoqualmie’s 2026 legislative priorities list: increasing funding for state-required local crisis intervention training; additional funding to support police officer recruitment and retention, including the potential to adopt public safety sales tax levies using councilmanic authority instead of asking for voter approval; and expanding crimes eligible for police pursuits to include auto theft and some property crimes.
Rounding out the list is ensuring the state legislature funds and completes the SR 18 expansion from Deep Creek to Issaquah-Hobart Road.
During its January 26 meeting, the Snoqualmie City Council discussed its legislative priorities at length and made multiple edits to the list before final adoption. You can watch the discussion on YouTube.
The current Washington State Legislative Session runs from January 12, 2025 – March 12, 2026.
[Danna McCall, former owner and editor of Living Snoqualmie, is now an independent freelance writer and a contributing writer for the site.]
