Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, lgardner@spokanecity.org
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 8:15 a.m.
The Spokane City Council voted 5-2 on the 2025-2026 Mid-Biennial Modification Budget. They approved an amendment proposed by Council President Betsy Wilkerson, Council Members Zack Zappone, and Paul Dillon, which emphasizes minimal staff cuts and allocates funds to the library, City Cable 5, and the public defender’s office.
In a statement issued by Council President Wilkerson early Monday morning, she said, “I value the Brown Administration’s partnership in this year’s budget revision. My fellow council members and I have worked closely with the Mayor on the proposed changes. From my perspective, the council has made sacrifices, as have other city departments, and we are reallocating funds to essential initiatives that might otherwise be underfunded.”
“I am grateful for the collaboration and compromise that went into this budget modification,” said Council Member Paul Dillon. “In a year that demanded hard and painful choices, this amendment supports the mutual goals of restoring libraries while minimizing cuts to labor. This budget takes a balanced approach, and I look forward to already beginning discussions on how to set us up for success in the next biennium.”
In June 2024, the City Council switched from an annual budget process to a two-year biennial budget for the City of Spokane, effective January 1, 2025. The council adopted its first biennial budget last year, and this ordinance is a mid-biennial adjustment provided for under state law. The modification amends the biennial budget effective January 1, 2026, and includes necessary changes to revenue projections and expenditures for 2026, all of which are necessary for the city to meet its statutory obligation to provide a balanced budget.
In Spokane
We All Belong
