The proposed 2023 budget doesn’t include the 10% budget cuts the council asked the mayor for.
Buckle up, team, we have a big week ahead of us, and it peaks on Tuesday with Election Day. Dig out that ballot from your pile of mail, grab a cup of coffee, pull up your voter guides, cozy up and fill that sucker out.
Washington State makes everything extremely convenient: You can mail your ballot from any blue mail drop without needing postage, but some postal boxes pick up as early as 3 pm, so if you’re voting on Tuesday, you might want to play it safe and drop your ballot off at any one of Spokane County’s ballot drop boxes.
Earlier in the week, Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton encouraged people to vote by Saturday, saying it ensures those votes are counted in Election Night results rather than in the following days. Additionally, snow is forecasted for Election Day, meaning weather conditions may prevent you from safely dropping off your ballot last minute.
If you need help voting, you can go to a Voter Service Center register to vote, update your registration, get a replacement ballot, and get your questions answered.
Spokane City Council
Budget, Baby: It’s that time of the year again where you can tell the city council what you think about next year’s budget. The mayor makes the budget, but City Council ratifies it, and they had passed a resolution a few weeks ago that asked her to cut general fund expenses by at least 10 percent and that any public safety funds expected to be spent in 2023 are included in the 2023 budget.
The proposed budget from the mayor doesn’t include the reduction or any of their other requests. According to a release from Council Communications Director Lisa Gardner, the council is also concerned that the mayor has not identified a funding source for additional police officers or vehicles.
See the budget here.
The city council will also have a public hearing on possible revenue sources for the 2023 budget and vote on an ordinance that would raise property taxes by 1%. This amount equates to a few dollars per property per year, according to Council President Breean Beggs. They’ve done this raise every year for more than a decade. Read more about it in civics from a few weeks ago.
Council District map changes: At the last council meeting, councilmembers decided to not approve the redistricting map recommended by the redistricting board and instead go with the map that united neighborhoods into the same council districts, drawing some anger from residents at the meeting who say that favored liberal councilmembers running for reelection. They’ll be taking a final vote on Monday night and likely won’t make any changes because of the Nov. 15 deadline to finish redistricting. [Read Colin Tiernan’s rundown of last week’s meeting drama here.]
Building moratorium: Remember that last-minute six-month building permit moratorium in the Latah/Hangman and Grandview/Thorpe neighborhoods the council passed in September? Well now it’s time for a public hearing about it.
Money for homelessness: There’s three items in the Consent Agenda that we’re going to group together since they all have to do with homelessness. The first item is for the council to accept $372,193 in grant funds from the state Commerce Department for data tracking on the projects involving Camp Hope. The next is a contract amendment to accept an additional $358,467 of Consolidated Homeless Grant funding from Commerce. The third is a first-year funding of $427,973 for the Salvation Army Way Out Center.
Dispatch: The council will vote on a Special Budget Ordinance to add eight classified Police Radio Dispatcher I positions to build out a police dispatch unit after the changes at the Spokane Regional Emergency Communication center. This was discussed in a committee meeting a few weeks ago and you can read more background on it here (aw, it’s full circle moment).
Dam-it: The council will vote on an ordinance “affirming the use and importance of dams.” This was prompted by a June report from Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray (and supported by the Biden administration) that detailed the cost to remove four lower Snake River dams. Proponents of dam removal argue it is necessary to save regional salmon runs from extinction. The resolution is supposed to “show the collective will of Spokane residents that oppose this plan in thought and action” by reaffirming the importance of dams. This resolution is sponsored by Councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Micheal Cathcart.
Agenda hereMonday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201The meeting is also livestreamed here.
