Spokane voters to decide on new sales tax that aims to improve public safety

SPOKANE, Wash. - Voters in the city of Spokane will decide on a new sales tax on the November ballot.

The addition, approved by city council Monday, would increase the local sales tax and use tax in Spokane by one tenth of 1%. The money would be used for community safety efforts with the police and fire departments.

Currently, there is a 9% sales tax in Spokane. With this proposition, it would become 9.1%. That would equal out to $1 more for every $1000 spent.

For example, if a family spends $850 a year on school supplies, the new sales tax would raise the cost to $850.85.

City officials said they hope the sales tax will raise around $6.5 million per year. This revenue would be used to improve Spokane Fire Department, Spokane Police Department, Emergency Management and Safe Street initiative, Municipal Court and Office of the Police Ombudsman.

City council voted 5-2 in their last meeting to pass the resolution to put the new sales tax on the ballot. Councilmember Jonathan Bingle, one of the two councilmembers that voted against the resolution, said he is concerned for the lack of clarity in the proposition.

"The trouble is that community safety is such a broad term, and when they define community safety, they include things like community resiliency, which is adapting to climate change and safe streets initiatives," said Bingle. "That is where I have a real trust issue believing they are going to invest in programs that are going to be reducing crime."

While Councilmember Paul Dillon voted for the resolution saying a new sales tax will make Spokane safer.

"I think it is going to address a lot of the concerns and move our city forward," said Dillion. "Voters are going to have the choice to decide the investments they want to see in the city on community safety."

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