City Council hires lobbyist to represent Issaquah in Olympia
August 7, 2012
Issaquah needs a lobbyist to advocate in the marble corridors beneath the Capitol dome — and coax state legislators to support local projects, City Council members said in a contentious decision to hire a longtime Olympia lobbyist.
The council agreed in a 5-2 decision July 16 to hire Doug Levy to represent Issaquah in Olympia. Members spent $21,700 to hire the former congressional staffer and onetime journalist through December.
Issaquah surpasses 31,000 residents in latest population estimate
July 3, 2012
Issaquah surpassed 31,000 residents in the past year, as population growth continues to inch upward after a decade of rapid expansion.
The latest tally from the state indicates Issaquah added 460 people last year to reach 31,150 residents. The state Office of Financial Management released the information June 25 for the period from April 1, 2011, to April 1, 2012.
Issaquah surpasses 31,000 residents in latest population estimate
June 25, 2012
NEW — 3:15 p.m. June 25, 2012
Issaquah surpassed 31,000 residents in the last year, as population growth continues to inch upward after a decade of expansion.
The latest tally from the state indicates Issaquah added 460 people last year to reach 31,150 residents. The state Office of Financial Management released the information Monday for the period from April 1, 2011, to April 1, 2012.
The state used data from the 2010 Census as a baseline, and then estimated population for Issaquah and other cities from school enrollment, housing construction and driver licensing to determine the numbers.
State officials use the population data to determine how to allocate dollars to municipalities.
Between the decennial censuses in 2000 and 2010, Issaquah ballooned by 170 percent — the result of construction-and-annexation-fueled population growth.
Press Editorial
October 4, 2011
Yes on I-1183 to end state liquor business
Initiative 1183 — putting liquor sales in the hands of retailers instead of the state —is worth a yes vote. Last year, voters were asked a similar question, challenging the state’s monopoly on liquor sales. The voters said no. But I-1183 is vastly different.
For one thing, small stores like mini-marts will not be allowed to sell liquor, squelching the fear that teens will have more access than ever. Only stores larger than 10,000 square feet will qualify, unless a smaller store is the only option in town.
State estimates Issaquah added 256 residents last year
July 12, 2011
Issaquah, long ranked among the fastest-growing cities in Washington, is no longer experiencing a population boom, but the city continues to add residents.
The latest tally from the state Office of Financial Management indicates Issaquah added 256 people last year. The estimated population is 30,690 — about 170 percent more people than a decade ago.
The state used data from the 2010 Census as a baseline, and then estimated population for Issaquah and other Washington cities by using information related to school enrollment, housing construction and driver licensing.
State officials use the population data to determine how to allocate dollars to municipalities.
State demographers released the data June 30. The figures represent population changes between April 1, 2010, and April 1, 2011.
Issaquah added 104 housing units during the past year, to bring the total to 14,018 units.
State estimates Issaquah added 256 residents last year
July 4, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. July 4, 2011
Issaquah, long ranked among the fastest-growing cities in Washington, is no longer experiencing a population boom, but the city continues to add residents.
The latest tally from the state Office of Financial Management indicates Issaquah added 256 people last year. The estimated population is 30,690 — or about 170 percent larger than a decade ago.
The state used data from the 2010 Census as a baseline, and then estimated population for Issaquah and other Washington cities by using information related to school enrollment, housing construction and driver licensing to form the estimate.
State officials use the population data to determine how to allocate dollars to municipalities.
Census: Issaquah is home to more than 30,000 people
March 1, 2011
City is more diverse and 170 percent larger than a decade ago
Issaquah is 170 percent larger and more diverse than a decade ago.
The city ballooned to 30,434 people — the result of a population boom fueled by annexations and housing construction. Information from the 2010 Census released Feb. 23 ranks Issaquah as No. 6 on the list of fastest-growing cities in the state during the past decade.
Furniture and belongings are unloaded from a moving truck Feb. 26 for a new resident of Estates on Cougar Mountain at Talus. By Greg Farrar
The population data also depicts Issaquah as a more diverse place than a decade ago.
The city claimed 11,212 residents after the 2000 Census. In the decade since the last decennial count, housing construction boomed in the hillside Issaquah Highlands and Talus neighborhoods. Issaquah also absorbed unincorporated King County communities in large annexations.
The population remains overwhelmingly Caucasian — 75 percent, although the percentage dipped from the 88 percent recorded in the 2000 Census — as more Asian and Latino residents settled in the city.
Census: Issaquah’s population crests 30,000 people
February 24, 2011
NEW — 2 p.m. Feb. 24, 2011
Issaquah’s population ballooned by more than 170 percent in the last decade to 30,434 people — the result of a population boom fueled by annexations and housing construction.
Information from the 2010 Census released Wednesday also depicts Issaquah as a more diverse city than a decade ago.
The city claimed 11,212 residents after the 2000 Census. In the decade since the last decennial count, housing construction boomed in the hillside Issaquah Highlands and Talus neighborhoods. Issaquah also encroached on unincorporated King County communities through annexations.
Issaquah’s population remains overwhelmingly Caucasian — 77 percent — although the percentage dipped from the 2000 Census — 89 percent — as more and more Asian residents settled in the city.
Most state offices close Tuesday in order to reduce costs
February 19, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. Feb. 19, 2011
Most state agencies close Tuesday as a cost-cutting measure, but not Department of Licensing offices.
Licensing offices open for regular hours Tuesday. Offices usually open on Saturday close Feb. 19 for Presidents Day and offices on a Monday-to-Friday schedule close Monday for the holiday.
The closures Tuesday impact dozens of other state agencies and commissions. The state Office of Financial Management has a complete list of shutdowns.
Officials shielded services critical to public health and safety — such as Child Protective Services and the Washington State Patrol — from office closures, although the shutdowns affect some business functions at the agencies.
Issaquah legislator introduces measure to eliminate some counties
February 8, 2011
Under a proposal offered by state Rep. Glenn Anderson, state leaders could dissolve some Washington counties for taking in more in state dollars than they contribute through state tax revenue.
The measure is unlikely to emerge from the House of Representatives, or even a committee. But the proposal has started a discussion about the harsh budget reality legislators face.
Democrats from populous Western Washington counties — Seattle Rep. Reuven Carlyle and Snohomish Rep. Hans Dunshee — joined Anderson to introduce the proposed constitutional amendment.
“Washington is facing an extraordinary budget crisis, just like California,” Anderson said in a statement. “We must take direct action to restore fiscal sanity.”
The six-term Fall City Republican has represented Issaquah and other 5th Legislative District communities in East King County since 2001.
