Erin Hut, Director of Communications and Marketing, 509.625.6740
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 11:55 a.m.
Updated 10/08/2024
Safety matters to everyone.
We all want to be part of a community where we can safely live, work, play, and plan for the future. At the City of Spokane, our Police Department, Fire Department, Office of the Police Ombuds and Municipal Court all do incredible work to keep us all safe in a variety of ways, and they have continued to do this in light of a significant budget crisis.
As we navigate this challenge, the City is hard at work making sure we do so without sacrificing key services. Our talented City employees are doing more with less. They are innovating and finding efficiencies, but as we move forward, we know we cannot fix our problems solely by making cuts.
That is why we are proposing a one-tenth of one percent Community Safety Sales Tax with a 10-year sunset provision. This proposal will cost residents and visitors $1 for every $1,000 spent, with several necessities like food, prescription drugs and rent excluded. Money generated will go into a dedicated Community Safety Fund and toward key investments in public safety to ensure our first responders, courts, and case managers have the tools they need to help keep Spokane safe.
Over the last few years, the Spokane Police Department has seen a consistent a rise in demand. If approved, this one-tenth of one percent sales tax will enable the department to relaunch the Neighborhood Resource Officer program. That means your neighborhood will once again have a dedicated point of contact to address problems and find solutions so our communities can thrive.
The department will also bring back dedicated traffic units to make Spokane streets safer. Whether it’s a child walking to school, a neighbor in a wheelchair heading to the grocery store, or a family driving their car to the park, increased investments will create safer streets for all users.
City of Spokane firefighters do incredible work, day in and day out, with increasing calls for service and the looming threat of wildfire. Unfortunately, the Spokane Fire Department has had to put off replacing and upgrading vital equipment. This 1/10 increase will help the department invest in new equipment, so that rigs don’t break down on the way to emergencies. This increase will also help the department renovate and enhance fire stations to help us meet their growing demands.
The Office of the Police Ombuds helps promote confidence in the professionalism and accountability of the Spokane Police Department by providing independent review of police actions, thoughtful policy recommendations, and ongoing community outreach.
If approved, revenue from this sales tax will go directly to increasing staff within this office to manage increased complaints, contacts and referrals, as well as to increase visibility and accessibility through community outreach and education.
City of Spokane community safety departments work together. Investments in first responders and the dedicated city employees across the Municipal Court system will ensure responsiveness to the needs of victims and the interests of justice, while also working to use the criminal justice system as a stabilizing force in the lives of so many who struggle with fentanyl, homelessness, and economic instability. This sales tax will provide funding to launch a City Drug Court and sustain investments in already proven therapeutic courts, case management, and supervision programs, like electronic monitoring.
Spokane has always been a City that comes together for the common good. We have significant challenges, but we also have effective, proven solutions and this Community Safety Proposal will provide an investment in those solutions.
