Biennial Budget and Work Program Fiscal Years 2018 – 2019 (July 2017 – June 2019) Adopted Supplemental Puget Sound Regional Council Washington Reflection Lakes, Mt. Rainier National Park May 2018 The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation award to Puget Sound Regional Council, Washington, for its Annual Budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide, and as a communication device. The award is valid for a period of one year only. We believe our current budget continues to conform to program requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA to determine its eligibility for another award. TABLE OF CONTENTS FY2018-2019 BUDGET AND WORK PROGRAM Page Executive Message Introduction 1 Moving Forward on Transportation 1 Implementing Plans for Sustainable Growth 2 Advancing Shared Prosperity 2 Enhancing Data Tools 2 PSRC at a Glance What is the Regional Council? 3 Mission 3 Functions 3 Other Agency Mandates 4 Figure 1 - Puget Sound Regional Council Member Jurisdictions (Map) 5 Regional Profile 6 Population Growth 6 Population Distribution 6 Housing Growth 7 Employment Growth 8 Benefits of Membership 9 Organization and Decision-Making 10 General Assembly 10 Executive Board 10 Operations Committee 10 Policy Boards 10 Economic Development District 10 Budget Strategy & Overview Budget Strategy & Overview 11 PSRC’s Integrated Timeline 11 How the PSRC budget ties to long term planning goals and priorities 11 Figure 2 - Integrated Planning Timeline (FY2016-2024) 12 Short-term Factors Influencing Budget Decisions 13 Estimated Revenues and Expenditures 13 Funding Sources 13 Funding Uses 14 Budget Bar Graphs and Tables Table 1 – Revenue Comparison Summary 15 Table 2 – Expenditure Comparison Summary 15 Table 3 – Staffing Comparison by Function 15 Table 4 – Revenue Comparison by Source 16 Table 5 – Distribution of Matching Funds 17 Table 6 – FY2018 – 2019 Expenditure Allocation 18 Table 7 – Revenue Allocation 19 Table 8 – Carryover Funds from FY2017 20 Figure 3 – Revenue Comparison 21 Figure 4 – Expenditure Comparison 22 Figure 5 – Expenditure by Work Element 23 Financial Structure and Process 24 Fund Descriptions 24 Basis of Budgeting 24 Capital Budget & Debt 24 Fund Balance 24 Budget Development 26 Budget Policies 26 Unfunded Sub-Tasks 27 Biennial Budget and Work Program Development Key Dates 28 Performance Measures, Milestones & Reporting 30 Long Term Financial Projection & Strategy 30 Table 9 – Revenue Comparison Summary 32 Table 10 – Expenditure Comparison Summary 32 Table 11 – Staffing Comparison by Function 32 Table 12 – Revenue Comparison by Source 33 Budget Trends 34 Figure 6 – Biennial Revenue Trends 35 Figure 7 – Biennial Expenditure Trends 35 Work Descriptions by Task Planning Management 36 Regional Growth Management Planning 39 Regional Transportation Planning (Long-Range) 46 Regional Transportation Planning (Short-Range/PSRC Funding) 58 Economic Development 63 Data 66 Executive Services (Council Support) 75 Executive Services (Government Relations and Communications) 77 Administrative Services 80 Appendices Appendix A Puget Sound Regional Council Committee Structure A-1 Puget Sound Regional Council Organization Resolution A-2 Puget Sound Regional Council Organization Chart A-3 Position Summary Schedule A-9 Appendix B PSRC FY2018 and FY2019 Dues Assessment B-1 PSRC Financial & Budgetary Policies B-4 Appendix C Table of Contents C-1 PSRC Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process Unified Planning Work Program C-2 MPO Core Functions & Essential Programs (UPWP Federal Requirement Crosswalk) C-22 State Fiscal Year 2018 UPWP (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018) C-26 Regional Transportation Planning Activities with Federal Funding C-41 FY2018-19 Unfunded Work Elements C-45 Appendix D Fiscal Years 2016-2017 Highlights D-1 Appendix E Glossary of Financial Terms E-1 Frequently Used Acronyms E-5 MESSAGE from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Introduction We are pleased to present the 2018-2019 budget and work program for the Puget Sound Regional Council for your review and approval. It is a balanced, steady state budget that supports PSRC’s regional planning mission and provides high quality services to our members. What a remarkable time this is for the central Puget Sound region! Population has surged over 4 million people and jobs are growing fast. The region has secured historic transportation investments that will pay dividends for generations. We’re well on our way to closing the enormous gap between available funding and building the transportation system needed to sustain the economy and quality of life as the region grows. Growth is the biggest challenge and opportunity ahead of us. The region’s VISION 2040 strategy lays out how the region can accommodate the nearly million more people expected here by 2040. It’s a strategy for growth that enhances the region’s economic vitality, social equity and environmental health. Over the next two years, PSRC will complete near and long term actions that help move the region’s growth, transportation and economic development plans forward. Following are highlights of our proposed work program. Moving Forward on Transportation PSRC will work to keep the momentum going to find solutions to short and long term transportation needs. A big focus will be completing an update to the Transportation 2040 plan in 2018. The good news is that many of the investments in the plan will be fully funded. The new plan will describe those investments, address remaining needs and funding gaps, and anticipate technological and other changes in the region. Through our work on the region’s near-term Transportation Improvement Program, we will advance transportation investments worth $5.6 billion coming online in the next few years, including widening 405 from Renton to Bellevue, building Link light rail to Northgate, and operating an expanded bus rapid transit line in Snohomish County. Through merit-based project selection processes in 2017 and 2018, PSRC will select projects that align with the growth strategy to receive new federal funds. Executive Message 1 Adopted Supplemental Budget FY2018-2019 Budget and Work Program May 2018 Implementing Plans for Sustainable Growth As the region has grown over the two decades, most rural lands have stayed rural and a significant share of new housing and employment has located in urban communities, in sync with VISION 2040. Rapid growth in recent years has underscored the need for continued smart planning going forward. New transit investments coming with ST3 present an exceptional opportunity to create vital, walkable communities close to new transit hubs. During this biennium, PSRC will begin an update to VISION 2040 to reflect these new investments and other changes in the region, and extend the plan to 2050. Related work will include implementing an updated centers framework and developing a regional open space plan. Advancing Shared Prosperity The region’s economy is performing at amazing levels. When adopted in 2017, the new Regional Economic Strategy will guide key regional economic initiatives to keep the economy strong and identify ways that PSRC can contribute. The Economic Development Board will adopt a work plan that establishes implementation priorities for each year. Enhancing Data Tools Our data team will continue to offer high quality data and modeling support to the region’s jurisdictions. Our forecasting models will support major regional planning efforts, including the Transportation 2040 and VISION 2040 updates. Work will include enhancing the SoundCast activity-based model for transit and freight modeling, updating UrbanSim land use forecasting tools, and extending the regional macroeconomic forecast to the year 2050. We will also conduct a fourth wave of the Puget Sound Regional Travel Survey. Through our Puget Sound Trends series, we will continue to track population, economic, transportation, and housing data trends to measure the performance of our regional plans. I invite you to explore the details of the entire budget in the pages ahead and look forward to your feedback. Thank you for participating in the work of the Puget Sound Regional Council and helping our region prepare for the future. Josh Brown Executive Director, Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Message 2 Adopted Supplemental Budget FY2018-2019 Budget and Work Program May 2018 PSRC at a GLANCE What is the Puget Sound Regional Council? The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is a regional planning organization that develops policies and makes decisions about transportation planning, economic development and growth management in the four-county Puget Sound region. Under state and federal mandates and an Interlocal Agreement signed by its members, PSRC conducts and supports numerous state and federal planning, compliance and certification programs which enable members and other jurisdictions and entities in the region to obtain state and federal funding. PSRC is designated under federal law as the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and under state law as the Regional Transportation Planning Organization, for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. PSRC provides creative, pragmatic regional planning and research to address current issues, and to explore future needs and options that could benefit the region. As a regional planning agency,