Homeless population leads mayors' list

Recently, while attending the mayors exchange with other mayors across the state of Washington, two questions were asked to the group of more than 40 mayors: “What is the number one need in your community? And, what is your New Year’s resolution?” The majority of the responses to the first question were clear: homelessness and housing needs.

I was feeling grateful the City of Longview, by a council vote, established a pallet micro-community, helping alleviate some of the homeless issues in our community, and that we are addressing the housing crisis by establishing, through a City Council vote, a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax to support affordable housing. This tax (10 cents on $100) will grow to more than $ 1 million and will be used to match state grants toward housing development by eight times the value. Essentially, our $1 million could gain the city $8 million when granted state funds for affordable housing contracts.

To the second answer, I offered the response: I don’t typically declare New Year’s resolutions, but my plan this year is to be more intentional in my actions and offer more grace toward others.

I am looking forward to this year of 2023! To celebrate with the community the blessings of our 100 years, and the beautiful caring community we have. In the coming months, we will begin to see the benefits of the work of staff and council adoption, the biennial city budget of more than $95 million for 2023-24. This budget includes new staff positions (business systems analyst in IT, community outreach coordinator, parks maintenance supervisor, and two facilities maintenance technicians), and capital project enhancements (Mint Valley golf poles/netting and facilities needs assessment, Roy Morse softball field lighting replacements, McClelland Arts Building HVAC system replacement, park maintenance shop siding, police garage gate replacements, fire station No. 82 emergency generator, John Null Park tennis court lighting replacements and engineering vertical file systems). We may not have been able to include everything that everyone wanted, but by a council vote, we made fiscally responsible decisions for the needs to move the city forward. In addition, the council approved an increase to the Transportation Benefit Fund (TBD). The $20 fee increase for the vehicle registrations allows the City of Longview to continue replacing roads, not only by chip seal, but that are damaged beyond repair with new pavement. Roads the city has already replaced using TBD funds in the past few years are a section of 15th Avenue, Nichols Boulevard North, Oregon Way and California Way. Roads that will be replaced with the new TBD funds will be northeast Nichols Boulevard, Glenwood Drive, Columbia Heights Road, part of Oregon Way, 38th Avenue, Mt. Solo Road and Oak Street.

Let’s rejoice in this new year, and whatever resolutions, plans, or goals you may have for 2023, may we all consider the opportunity of being a little more intentional and offer more grace toward others.

City of Kelso

Mike Karnofski Mayor