Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson has issued the following statement in anticipation of the upcoming Council vote of the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget.
“Today, the Council submitted a proposed budget to Mayor Lisa Brown that is reflective of our citizens' needs and rooted in conservative fiscal strategies to ensure responsible cost savings.
This budget has been crafted with thorough consideration of the valuable input we've received from our diverse community members over the past months. We understand that our citizens' needs vary, and we have worked diligently to ensure that this budget addresses key areas such as public safety, education, infrastructure, and social services while maintaining a vigilant eye on our financial responsibilities.
The budget should reflect the City’s core values of equity and inclusiveness while remaining fiscally feasible. Our Budget Director worked closely with the Manager of Equity and Inclusion to engage historically disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in budgeting. The Council aims to create a budgeting culture that evaluates City resources to identify and address community disparities through program evaluations, clear and timely data analysis, and ongoing community engagement.
Spokane has experienced many transitions, turmoil, and trepidation yet has persevered through all the city's bureaucratic challenges. We must adopt a budget that prioritizes efficiency and sustainability during these challenging economic times. Our proposed budget includes measures to streamline operations, reduce unnecessary expenses, and enhance our services without imposing additional burdens on our taxpayers.
I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow Council Members for their collaboration and commitment throughout this process. Although there were budget items that some of us did not support and certain proposals that were not included this time, we were able to reach a mutual understanding and compromise. Ultimately, we have put together a proposed budget that I believe reflects our unwavering commitment to transparency, collaboration, accountability, and good governance.
I look forward to hearing from the administration on the proposed budget and, ultimately, the final Council vote scheduled for Monday, December 9, during our Legislative Session.”
