SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and Council President Wilkerson announced on Thursday their proposal to establish a Community Safety Fund and implement a 10-year sunset provision for a new sales tax aimed at enhancing community safety in Spokane.
According to a press release from the City of Spokane, . According to the press release, the tax would cost Spokane residents and visitors about $1 for every $1,000 spent, with necessities such as food and prescription drugs exempted. Of the total funds, 15% would be allocated to Spokane County.
The City of Spokane said they would collect roughly $6.5 million each year, which would be placed into a dedicated Community Safety Fund. This fund is intended to be used exclusively for community safety improvements, ensuring transparency and separation from other city finances.
Mayor Brown outlined several planned uses for the funds, including re-launching the Spokane Police Department’s Neighborhood Resource Officer program, establishing a traffic safety unit, updating the Spokane Fire Department’s vehicles and equipment, reinstating the fire academy, increasing staffing for the Office of the Police Ombuds, and supporting municipal court operations to reduce jail strain and re-arrest rates.
“By proposing a sunset provision on this sales tax proposal, we ensure it is only in place when truly necessary. My administration has made significant progress reducing our structural budget deficit outside of this proposed sales tax, but implementing it for the next few years will ensure our ability to make new public safety investments our community wants,” Mayor Brown said.
The establishment of the Community Safety Fund and the sunset provision must be done via City ordinance. The proposal is set to go before the Spokane City Council in the coming weeks.
“This proposal will ensure transparency, accountability and the opportunity to give taxpayers confidence that this potential sales tax will be carefully reviewed and justified in its use,” Council President Wilkerson said.
