The Battle Ground City Council has approved its legislative priorities for the 2025 session, though its lobbyist warns that funding may be challenging to secure.
The City Council reviewed the recommended projects to lobby for during the state’s 2025 legislative session at a Monday, Nov. 4, meeting. The 2025 legislative session will be its 105-day “long” legislative session, for which the legislature will determine its biennial operating, transportation and capital budgets.
Josh Weiss, the city’s state lobbyist, was not optimistic about this year’s funding prospects. The Governor’s Office of Financial Management, which oversees state agency budgets, has requested proposals for state budget cuts. Weiss noted this is the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that budget proposals may focus on reducing state budgets rather than adding to them.
“We expect it will be a fairly difficult legislative session. We continue to hear that … revenues are not growing as fast as they had previously been projected for the next four-year outlook, which basically means that the state is having a hard time keeping up with the increasing cost of inflation and caseload,” Weiss said.
Battle Ground’s City Council agreed upon four major projects for which it plans to request funding.
Eaton Boulevard Reconstruction
A major reconstruction of Eaton Boulevard, from Southwest 20th Avenue to state Route 503, is scheduled for 2026. The improvements, totaling $14 million, will include a center turn lane, separated bike lanes, expanded sidewalks, additional turn lanes at SR 503 and a new traffic signal at Southwest 20th Avenue. The city has already secured $5.5 million through a combination of state and federal funding, along with traffic impact fees. Battle Ground will seek an additional $11 million from the state Legislature to fully fund construction.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, 12 vehicle accidents occurred on Eaton Boulevard from Southwest 20th Avenue to state Route 503 from Nov. 6, 2023, to Nov. 6, 2024.
Remy Park — Phase 1
Located west of the Walmart Supercenter, the Remy Park project is estimated to cost $9.4 million and will feature fitness stations, bird-watching areas, a dog park, picnic spots, a bicycle pump track and pathways with bicycle racks. The city plans to request $1.5 million to support the first phase, which includes covered basketball courts, play areas, restrooms and other amenities.
Downtown revitalization
In 2023, the city received a $350,000 grant to study potential improvements for Main Street, including pedestrian access, traffic flow and beautification. The study is set to conclude in spring 2025, after which the city plans to request $500,000 to fund the design phase.
City documentation management system
To improve public records access and streamline document management, the city is forming a workgroup to develop a new system. Battle Ground plans to seek $100,000 from the state’s operating budget to purchase a new management system. This would streamline the process for storing, maintaining and sending documents upon public records requests.
Additional Endorsements
The council also endorsed several regional initiatives:
• Continued support for the Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy
• Clark County Transportation Alliance’s 2025 policy statement
• Association of Washington Cities’ (AWC) 2025 Legislative Agenda
Councilor Victoria Ferrer expressed concerns about AWC’s proposal to raise the property tax cap from 1% to 3%, though Weiss clarified that city project funding would take priority over these broader initiatives. The agenda ultimately passed in a 4-2 vote, with Ferrer and Councilor Tricia Davis opposed.
