A dozen school and rural fire districts have proposed levies on the November 3 ballot to replace expiring local taxes that pay for key services or to fund maintenance on public facilities across Spokane County. If you live in one of those districts, you will have a chance to weigh in on those proposed tax rates when you vote.
Washington’s public schools receive much of their funding from state and federal revenue. Local tax levies help school districts bring in money to pay for programs and repairs that state funding doesn’t cover.
In documents detailing their levy proposals, officials across seven area school districts noted existing funds were not enough to bridge the funding gaps to pay for a variety of educational programs, extracurriculars, staffing, or projects to address deteriorating infrastructure.
When it comes to fire district levies, independent fire departments provide emergency response services to rural communities and homeowners who live outside of city fire department coverage. Each district responds to medical and fire emergency calls within its set boundaries with trained crews, some largely made up of volunteers and others with full-time firefighters. Most of the districts noted rising emergency call volumes and aging equipment in their levy proposals.
The districts are funded by special property taxes, called levies, that voters approve every six years. Which, just as with schools, is where you come in.
Spokane Public Schools
Spokane Public Schools is asking voters to consider a levy to pay for educational programs and operation expenses. It would replace an expiring levy.
Under the proposed measure, the district would collect up to $107 million in 2028, $111 million in 2029 and $115 million in 2030.
The tax rate for the levy is estimated to be $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This means homeowners can expect to pay $875 a year for a home assessed at $350,000, which represents the median value of a home in the county, according to the school district.
The levy would pay for about 15% of the district’s annual operating budget, which includes funding for academics, school activities and athletics.
East Valley School District
Similarly, the East Valley District is asking voters to consider replacing a levy that’s set to expire at the end of the year. In its place, the proposed two-year levy would collect about $6.79 million in 2027 and $6.99 million in 2028.
The estimated tax rate for the levy would be .99 cents per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, according to the school district. This means the median homeowner can expect to pay about $346 a year.
The levy would allow the district to pay for construction, modernization and remodeling projects, according to the measure. Some examples of the projects include parking and traffic improvements, making replacements or upgrades to facilities, and modernizing the technologies that students and teachers use.
Central Valley School District
The Central Valley School District is asking voters to consider a three-year tax levy that would collect $48.9 million in 2028, $50.5 million in 2029 and $52.4 million in 2030. The money would pay for educational programs and operations. It would replace the district’s current levy, which is set to expire in 2027.
The levy tax rate is estimated at $2.50 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, according to the district. Homeowners in this district can expect to pay $875 a year on property assessed at $350,000.
West Valley School District
The West Valley School District is sending two separate measures before voters. One is an Educational Programs and Operations levy and the other is a levy for modernizing and remodeling school facilities.
The proposed three-year Educational Programs and Operations levy would replace an expiring levy. Under the measure, $10.4 million would be collected in 2028, $10.79 million in 2029 and $10.95 million in 2030. The tax rate is estimated to be $2.50 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, again amounting to $875 a year on a $350,000 home.
The other levy would collect taxes for two years: $4.19 million in 2028 and $4.3 million in 2029. The estimated tax rate is $1 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, so the $350,000-property owner can expect to pay $350 a year.
This proposal would also replace an expiring levy and would pay for projects like bolstering security, building a library addition at the Pasadena Park Elementary School, improvements at Spokane Valley High School and other facilities, according to the district.
Riverside School District
The Riverside School District is asking voters to consider an Educational Programs and Operations levy in place of a levy set to expire at the end of 2027. The proposed three-year levy would collect up to $3.99 million in 2028, $4.1 million in 2029 and $4.2 million in 2030.
The estimated tax rate is $1.58 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, or about $553 a year on a $350,000 home.
Nine Mile Falls School District
The Nine Mile Falls School District is asking voters to weigh two measures: a three-year Educational Programs and Operations levy as well as a six-year levy for modernizing, building and remodeling schools.
The three-year levy, which would replace an expiring levy, aims to collect $4.35 million in 2028, $4.4 million in 2029 and $4.5 million in 2030. The tax rate is estimated at $2.10 per 1,000 of a property’s assessed value. A $350,000 homeowner could expect to pay $735 a year.
The other levy would collect a total of $4.85 million across six years for construction, modernizing and remodeling of school facilities. More specifically, $774,853 will be collected in 2027; $788,018 in 2028; $801,407 2029; $815,023 in 2030; $828,871 in 2031; and $842,954 in 2032.
The tax rate is estimated at .38 cents per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, so the typical homeowner can expect to pay about $133 a year.
This levy would pay to replace Lakeside High School’s roof and portable classrooms that have been condemned, in addition to other infrastructure projects, according to the district.
Cheney School District
The Cheney School District is asking voters to consider two measures: an Educational programs and Operations levy as well as a levy to remodel and modernize school facilities.
The three-year Educational Programs and Operations levy would replace an expiring levy and collect $18.45 million in 2028, $19 million in 2029 and $19.55 million in 2030. The estimated levy tax rate is $2.10 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, so homeowners can expect to pay $735 a year on a property assessed at $350,000.
The other levy would replace an expiring levy and would collect $880,000 in 2028, $1.35 million in 2029 and $1.9 million in 2030. The tax rate for the first year would be .10 cents per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, then .15 cents the second year and .20 cents the third year.
Under those tax rates, the typical homeowner could expect to pay about $35 in 2028, roughly $52 in 2029 and $70 in 2030.
The projects this levy would pay for include upgrading technology and facilities across the district; improving infrastructure like locker rooms, ventilation and plumbing; and modernizing safety and security systems.
Fire Districts
This year, voters in Fairfield, Medical Lake, Mead, Rockford, Latah and other small towns in the county will be asked to approve levies to fund their fire districts. Most of these are renewals to continue funding services to these communities and are relatively uncontroversial (no one wrote “against” statements for any of them in the county voter’s guide).
Here’s a quick breakdown of those measures and who is impacted.
Fire Protection District 2
District 2 serves the southeast Spokane County towns of Fairfield and Mt. Hope.
Proposition 1 is asking voters to continue a $.50 per $1,000 of assessed value property tax levy for the next six years. For a home worth $300,000, this amounts to about $150 per year.
The “For” statement in the county voter guide reads, “Continuing the levy is intended to provide stable funding needed to maintain existing EMS operation and meet the ongoing emergency medical needs of District residents.”
Fire Protection District 3
District 3 serves Medical Lake, Spangle and the surrounding areas.
Proposition 1 would be a new levy of $.50 or less per $1,000 of assessed value for the next six years specifically meant to fund emergency medical services and would allow new 24-hour staffing in the Cheney and Spangle areas, according to the district website.
District 3 already has a regular fire levy rate of $1.48 per $1,000 of assessed value, so Prop 1 would make the total rate $1.98 per $1,000. This amounts to about $594 per year for a home worth $300,000.
“Our emergency workload is outpacing our career and volunteer workforce,” the district website says. “Call volume continues to increase approximately 4–5% each year, while the cost of providing emergency services has also increased.”
Fire Protection District 9
District 9 serves the northern parts of the county including Fairwood, 5 Mile Prairie, Mead, Nine Mile Falls and Country Homes (many of these areas were impacted by the Spokane Complex fires). The district is asking voters to decide two measures: a levy for ongoing operations and a bond for long-term capital investments.
Proposition 1 is a little more complicated because the district is asking for an increase and promising to reduce a different levy later on. It would increase the levy rate to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for the next six years, up from $0.65 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The district committed to reducing its maintenance and operations levy by 20 cents, which would bring that levy rate from $1.49 to $1.29. This leaves residents paying a total of $2.69 per $1,000 of assessed value. For a home worth $300,000, this amounts to about $837 total per year across the two levies.
The levy lid lift would fund ongoing fire and emergency medical services, replace key equipment and increase staffing as the district has seen sharp increases in call volume over the last decade.
Proposition 2 is a $70 million capital bond to fix the district’s aging infrastructure. It would pay for renovations to four fire stations, the construction of a new fire station to replace an outdated one and construct new training facilities, along with other big projects. The rate is estimated at $0.39 per $1,000 of assessed value for the next 20 years. This amounts to about $117 per year for a $300,000 home.
Fire Protection District 11
District 11 serves the Rockford area in the southeast part of the county.
Proposition 1 would renew district 11’s EMS levy for the next six years, though it would reset it at $.35 per $1,000 of assessed value. Because property values have risen in recent years, the tax rate had dropped to $.2676 per $1,000, so this would raise residents’ taxes marginally. For a home worth $300,000, this amounts to about $105 total per year.
Fire Protection District 12
District 12 serves Waverly and Latah in the southeast part of the county.
Proposition 1 is a renewal of its current levy for the next six years at the same rate of $.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, which provides the funding for the area’s emergency medical services. For a home worth $300,000, this amounts to about $150 per year.
