City leaders testify in support of House Bill 1258.
Erin Hut, Director of Communications, ehut@spokanecity.org
Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 3:04 p.m.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, Fire Chief Julie O’Berg and City Administrator Alexander Scott shared their support for House Bill 1258 Thursday, which would have a profound impact on the safety and wellbeing of City of Spokane residents.
HB 1258 would ensure that 911 excise tax revenue – generated by taxpayers throughout Spokane County – is fairly apportioned based on emergency call volume.
Legislative consideration of HB 1258 comes as the Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC) Board has voted to kick the Spokane Fire Department out of its system and impose deadline of January 1, 2026 for the City of Spokane to establish its own primary public safety answering point (PSAP).
While the city is confident it can create a safe and effective PSAP, it is critical that the 911 excise tax – one of only two dedicated 911 funding streams – be apportioned fairly between jurisdictions.
“For years, City of Spokane taxpayers have contributed their hard-earned money to a regional public safety system, expecting reliable emergency response and protection. Now, despite accumulating $30 million in financial reserves, Spokane Regional Emergency Communications is kicking our fire department out, turning its back on our city and trying to walk away with the very funds our residents have invested,” Mayor Lisa Brown said. “HB 1258 simply ensures that the 911 excise tax revenue generated by City of Spokane residents is appropriated to the agency performing the critical services they rely on. The City of Spokane has handled its own 911 dispatch center in the past, and if SREC insists, we will do it again.”
“HB 1258 represents an investment in the safety and well-being of both our firefighters and the citizens we serve. It provides us with the necessary tools and resources to perform our jobs at the highest level, ensuring that we continue to respond quickly, efficiently, and effectively to emergencies of all kinds,” said Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg.
