Main Street program survives legislature

MOSES LAKE - The Main Street Program, which has been important to the renewal of downtown Moses Lake, has been saved.

The only question is how much money will be budgeted for it by the state.

A bill to save the program made it through the House of Representatives on a 97-1 vote in the current legislative session. A companion bill made it through the Senate on 45-0 vote last week.

“It had overwhelming support,” said Marianne Bondi, executive director of the Moses Lake Business Association. “Everyone was in favor of it.”

But there is still the problem of the state’s overall budget, which has a deficit of more than $2 billion. Governor Chris Gregoire and the Legislature have been grappling with it, and the Main Street budget, which is only $120,000, has been a candidate for the chopping block.

“We don’t know what we’re going to get,” Bondi said. “We asked them to keep the $120,000, but we don’t know.”

Some kind of an answer should come soon. The legislative session will close if the budget work is completed. There is a chance Gregoire will extend the session to complete budget work.

If the Main Street budget is small or without funds, Bondi will consider the work in favor the bills to have been successful. She said proponents can come back next year for increased funding.

“The purpose was to keep the program alive,” Bondi said.

The Main Street Program helps communities with downtown revitalization projects, such as Moses Lake’s LakeTown Landing. Businesses put the investment. The Main Street Program provides technical assistance and training.