PACCOM, veteran housing in line for state funding

Published 6:32 pm Sunday, March 1, 2026

OLYMPIA — State legislators have included new and additional funding for a pair of Pacific County projects in their proposed capital construction budget that was released in late February.

Introduced in the Washington House of Representatives Feb. 23, the proposed supplemental capital budget for the 2025-27 biennium would dole out nearly $700,000 in funding for two local projects related to public safety and housing.

The proposed budget was unanimously passed out of the House Capital Budget Committee on Feb. 26 and awaited a vote in the lower chamber as of Feb. 27.

The state Senate also proposed their own budget late last month. The legislature has until the end of the session on March 12 to pass supplemental capital, transportation and operating budgets for the current biennium.

State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) said in a news release that the House’s proposed budget would deliver “meaningful investments for the 19th Legislative District.”

“I’m proud to see projects that support students, first responders, veterans, and working families in our district,” he added. “I’ll continue working to ensure the 19th receives the attention and resources our communities deserve.”

State Rep. Joel McEntire (R-Cathlamet) said he was committed to ensuring the proposed local investments receive final approval in the legislature.

“Capital budgets do more than build projects. They put people to work and help local economies. This proposal would address needs in several communities across the district,” McEntire added. “This plan makes thoughtful, long-term investments in schools, housing, water systems, and public facilities while respecting the responsibility we have to the taxpayers.”

PACCOM radio upgrades

The budget introduced in the House includes $410,000 for upgrades to Pacific County Communications’ (PACCOM) radio system.

The inclusion of this funding comes after officials from multiple local agencies met last November with the 19th Legislative District delegation, including Walsh and McEntire. As previously reported by the Observer, those talks centered around securing state dollars to improve public safety.

Chief among those concerns was winning funding to upgrade PACCOM and emergency responders to a radio simulcast system to help close a longstanding gap in radio coverage. In a Feb. 28 statement to the Observer, PACCOM Director Cait Grant said having dependable radio communication is “one of the most critical tools emergency responders have” when it comes to public safety.

“Law enforcement, fire, EMS, and emergency management personnel rely on clear, uninterrupted communication with dispatch and with each other during emergencies,” she added. “A simulcast system would reduce coverage gaps, improve audio clarity, and help ensure responders can communicate effectively whether they are responding to medical calls, structure fires, search and rescue incidents, or large-scale emergencies and disasters.”

Certain parts of the county are so remote that responders — including deputies from the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office — receive little or no signal while using their portable radios and have to rely solely on their vehicle’s mobile radio. Some north county radio enthusiasts have also stated in the past that they can hear the 911 Communications Center from non-bordering Mason County more clearly than first responders from just a few blocks away.

“A simulcast radio system allows multiple radio tower sites across the county to broadcast and receive on the same frequency at the same time,” Grant said. “This means first responders can communicate seamlessly as they move between jurisdictions or coverage areas without needing to switch channels or losing signal. In a rural county like ours, where terrain, distance, and coastal conditions can impact radio performance, simulcast technology helps provide more consistent and reliable communication coverage.”

Veteran housing

A local housing project that has already received state funding is in line to receive nearly $300,000 more.

The project — which recently got underway — to demolish and reconstruct the American Legion building in downtown Raymond would receive another $286,000 in state funding if the House’s proposed budget is adopted. It would increase the state’s financial support for the project in this biennium’s capital budget from $950,000 up to about $1.24 million.

Spearheaded by the Willapa Community Development Association, which is working in partnership with American Legion Post 150, the project once completed will support 17 housing units prioritizing veterans. It will also host a community resource center.

The case for additional state funding was made directly to Gov. Bob Ferguson last March during a visit he made to Pacific County. Rebecca Chaffee, WCDA co-founder and Joint Pacific County Housing Authority board member, told Ferguson about the yearslong effort to raise upwards of $15 million for the project and the need to develop more affordable housing in the area.

Crews from Rognlin’s Inc. recently began demolishing the American Legion building, which is located at the corner of Third Street and Duryea Street. The new building, slated to be completed by March 2027, would also house Raymond City Hall.