SPOKANE, Wash. — Mayor Nadine Woodward addressed the Spokane City Council to give her “Statement of Conditions and Affairs” speech.
Throughout the speech, Woodward touched on how much the city’s future has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Woodward covered her time in office so far and outlined her future plans for the city. In her future plans, Woodward outlined plans for the 2021 budget, her “Next 100 Days” plan — which the mayor said was created “in order to advance key initiatives” while staying fiscally healthy — and shifts in organizational structure.
Woodward said that the 2021 proposed budget is now “priority-based." She also said that the Next 100 Days plan will include revising the joint strategic plan with the Spokane City Council.
Some of the priorities in the Next 100 Days plan laid out in the speech included hiring a new Neighborhood, Housing, and Human Services director who will be leading efforts to improve neighborhoods, homelessness systems and customer experience.
She also said she plans to recruit a planning director, who she hopes will come up with "creative" and "innovative" ways to increase housing at all income levels.
Woodward also said she plans to finalize a contract with the Spokane Police Guild.
The mayor went on to say in an interview with KREM that her office plans to engage in "police reform discussions" with the "city council, stakeholders, and social justice advocates," that will make the Spokane Police Department "even stronger."
The mayor also talked about her relationship with the Spokane City Council, saying that they have disagreed but have worked well together.
Near the end of her speech, Woodward spoke of things she saw as accomplishments during her time in office.
These included complete work in Riverfront Park, a spring cleaning parking event, and a social distanced Fourth of July celebration.
Coronavirus pandemic
Woodward also talked about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Spokane.
“What began as a single phone call, you'll remember this, in early February about 4 COVID-positive patients being transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center has become 8,000 positive cases in Spokane County and nearly 180 tragic deaths from COVID-19,” Woodward said.
She then talked about the county’s stay in Phase 2 of Governor Jay Inslee’s Safe Start reopening plan, saying that while it was the right approach to not overburden the health care system and to keep people safe, the local economy has suffered under the shutdowns.
In an interview with KREM, Woodward said the city started out 2020 "on solid financial foundation," but would have to tap into financial reserves to cover the city's expenses.
"Moving forward it's about how we are able to meet demands with the revenues that we have - and we have fewer revenues," she said.
Woodward said sales tax revenue in the city is down 5.1% so far this year, with sales tax down in the downtown area by 24%.
Woodward went on to call the situation “unsustainable” for downtown.
The mayor said that the city’s COVID-19 response has been a success due to stabilized hospitalization numbers and bed counts.