SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown released her proposed 2025-2026 budget over the weekend and, on Monday, told NonStop Local that the budget, if adopted, would bring fiscal stability to the city.
The proposal includes a 1% property tax increase and gradual sales tax growth to address a projected $25 million deficit for 2025.
“And that translates into $50 million over our two-year budget. I’m happy to report that we’ve taken a lot of action to cut expenses. We’ve even reduced, by a small amount, the number of City employees in order to get to a place where we will have a balanced budget over the next two years,” Brown said.
The administration of Mayor Nadine Woodward had some differences when adopting the 2024-2025 budget. Like Brown’s proposal, Woodward’s budget also included the 1% allowable property tax increase.
“Last year’s budget relied on a lot of one-time funds for ongoing expenditures. We did not do that this year. Also, last year’s budget depleted unallocated reserves. We kept them level,” Brown said.
On Tuesday, residents will vote on whether to approve or reject Brown’s proposed Community Sales Tax.
“We balanced the budget without the Community Sales Tax, so those funds could go into new community safety investments if the voters vote ‘yes,'” Brown said.
If passed, the budget could also increase resources for the Neighborhood Resources Officer Program, police department, and fire department.
City Councilman Michael Cathcart expressed “substantial concerns” about the budget but said it was too early to comment on the specifics. Similarly, Councilman Jonathan Bingle told NonStop Local that while he had many questions about the proposal, he felt it was too early to make an official statement.
Neither councilman shared specific questions or concerns at this time.
“If anyone is critical of the budget, they need to say where they would want to do the cuts,” Brown said.
Under the proposed budget, a new permitting and licensing system would be developed to streamline housing developments, and staffing would be increased at the Spokane Development Services Center.
Funding for sheltering the unhoused during extreme weather would also rise from $250,000 to $1 million.
“We would be equipped next year with more inclement weather beds. And I would point out those are not just for when it’s cold, but also for when it’s hot or smoky,” Brown said.
The City Council will review the proposed budget before a final version is adopted in December.
