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City of Spokane, Spokane County public safety measures passing, meaning more taxes to fund jails, police and fire

Proposition 1 and Measure 1 were both passing as of Wednesday.

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — In Spokane County, prepare to pay more.

With some ballots still being counted, two public safety sales taxes between the county and the City of Spokane are passing. 

In Spokane County, Measure 1 is a one-tenth of a percent tax people have been paying since 1995. If passed this year, it will make six times voters have approved it, said county commission chair Mary Kuney. 

"It's a renewal so it's been renewed that many times because people know the importance of what we're doing for public safety and our detention facilities," she said. 

The tax brings in nearly $16 million a year to fund juvenile detention and staffing.

"It's required by state law to have that facility and so if we didn't have this funding, it would have to come out of the general fund and we'd have to cut other discretionary services," Kuney said.

State law also allows part of the money to be used at Spokane County's adult detention center.

The City of Spokane is on the verge of adding a new one-tenth of a percent sales tax. 

With the expected passage of the Community Safety Sales Tax proposed by Mayor Lisa Brown and largely approved by city council, the average person will pay a dollar for every $1,000 they spend on goods, not including necessities like food or prescriptions. 

It could generate a total $7.7 million annually, with $6.5 million going to the city and 15% shared with the county.

"We've already said how we want to spend these funds," said Mayor Lisa Brown.

The tax will fund police and fire and other public safety functions, like the police ombuds office. The money could also help buy new equipment or upgrade fire and police buildings and programs.

"This is what I ran on," said Brown Tuesday night. "I listened to voters last year at this time and they were saying we want our neighborhood resource officers back, we want to invest in a new fire academy." 

With Brown's budget still under review by council, it's money she's said could save the city.

"Soon as the council passes that budget we can go forward," Brown said. 

Council president Betsy Wilkerson also reacted to the passage of the tax Wednesday:

“Following the election, the City of Spokane successfully passed the sales tax measure to bolster public safety services across the community. This initiative reflects the strong commitment of our residents to ensuring a safer environment for all. The sales tax will specifically fund the acquisition of much-needed resources, including neighborhood resource officers and fire trucks. This funding will also enable the city to enhance its community policing model, which aims to build trust and partnership between law enforcement and the neighborhoods it serves.

While the passage of the Community Safety tax enhancement will help us fund the citizens’ priorities, the Council is mindful of the budgetary challenges still facing the City. Since Saturday, the Council and our Budget Director have been busy analyzing the Administration’s budget proposal for the next two years. We are committed to working with the Administration over the next few weeks to craft innovative, sustainable solutions to the City’s long-term fiscal health.

I encourage all citizens to read the proposed budget on our website and welcome our constituents’ input, so please continue to join us for our Monday night Legislative Sessions.

I want to express gratitude to all residents who participated in this important decision. Your support is vital in helping us create a healthier, safer Spokane for everyone.”

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