State Sen. Tracey Eide received the Key to the City from Mayor Jim Ferrell at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The award recognizes Eide’s lasting contributions to the city of Federal Way, as well as the state of Washington.
“Tracey Eide has been a true legislative champion for Federal Way and created important change for Washington State,” said Mayor Jim Ferrell. “During her time in the State Legislature she effected far-reaching policy changes and secured funding for vital infrastructure, economic development and parks projects in our community.”
During her 18 years in the state legislature Eide left a wide range of accomplishments, including:
* Obtaining over $105 million in state funding for the Triangle Interchange
* Securing more than $7 million for the Performing Arts and Conference Center project
* Helping Federal Way obtain a Local Infrastructure Financing Tool and Local Revitalization Financing grant, worth tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure financing assistance
* Securing $350,000 to replace the boardwalk at the West Hylebos Wetlands Park and facilitating transfer of the beloved park from the state to the city
In addition to important local and regional projects, Eide has been a statewide leader on an impressive range of policy issues. She has been a leader on auto theft prevention legislation, a bill to provide police with more time to solve auto theft cases, measures to toughen domestic violence penalties and legislation to provide municipal courts with a special domestic violence assessment, among others.
Ferrell also noted the Senator’s leadership on efforts to provide funding to fix the state’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure. During the 2014 Legislative Session, Eide served as co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and convened talks statewide to build support for a transportation revenue package.
Along with King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer, she helped craft a solution to the shortfall in Sound Transit funding that threatened the light rail link to Federal Way. The Sound Transit Board later allocated $24 million to initiate the environmental and alignment planning needed to make the project “shovel ready.”
“Senator Tracey Eide leaves behind a legislative legacy that in the 30th District that will make this a better community for decades to come,” Mayor Ferrell said.
Eide served 16 years in the Washington State Senate from 1999-2014, when she announced her retirement. She also served in the House of Representatives from 1993-94
During her time in the Legislature, Eide worked with four different governors, prime-sponsored 44 policy bills that were enacted into state law and secured over $500 million in operating, capital and transportation budget appropriations.
Mayor Ferrell introduced the Key to the City program to recognize individuals who have demonstrated lasting, significant contribution to building the Federal Way community. The first recipient was King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer. Former Public Works and Parks Director Cary Roe received the second Key to the City, while former city Councilwoman Mary Gates received the third Key recognition.
