SPOKANE, Wash. – After a was opposed by a Mayor Lisa Brown pivoted to a more regressive on Monday. Committees in support and opposition to the measure are being formed by the City Council this month.
According to the city, community members interested in serving on the pro or con committee should reach out to City Council Office Director Giacobbe Byrd by 5 p.m. on July 17.
If approved via city council resolution, the sales tax measure would appear on the upcoming November ballot. It would increase sales and use tax rates by 0.1%, annually for municipal and county public safety initiatives.
The proposed sales tax is in-line with the state of Washington’s reliance on sales taxes over property taxes, which are capped under state constitutional law. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Washington State has the second most regressive tax system in the nation after Florida.
If passed, the sales tax will to the Spokane Fire Department, Police Department, Police Ombudsman, Municipal Court and parks system.
