SPOKANE, Wash. — During Monday night's legislative meeting, Spokane City Council voted in favor of the General Facilities Charges Ordinance, which provides a waiver for utility hookups for all new homes built throughout the city for households with incomes less than $75,000 a year.
The ordinance passed by a 5-2 vote.
“No longer will everyday ratepayers subsidize luxury home builders,” said Council President Breean Beggs. “Instead, the City of Spokane will incentivize affordable housing for our residents left behind by the drastic rise in housing costs in Spokane.”
According to the city, Mayor Nadine Woodward originally proposed implementing new rates over a number of years to fund necessary water and sewer projects in Spokane. Utility fees for new homes in Central Spokane would be $10,284 while fees for new homes in Outer Spokane would be $17,868.
The city says this ordinance implements those new fees with an exception of a two-year phase in period for water GFCs in the lower zone. That includes the waiver mentioned earlier for families earning less than $75,000 yearly.
“Twenty years is long enough for our individual ratepayers to be subsidizing development,” said Council Member Lori Kinnear. “It is time to fully implement updated rates so that those who are creating the need for increased infrastructure bear the cost.”
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