SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 6-1 to override the mayor’s veto of a property tax ordinance.
The ordinance originally passed 5-2 on November 14, 2022 and was vetoed by the mayor on November 18.
The 1% property tax will go toward funding vehicles for the Spokane Police and Fire Departments.
“The City Council responded to requests from the police and fire departments for an important vehicle replacement,” said Council President Brian Beggs. “In the 2023 budget, the mayor proposed $1.3 million in police capital funding; however, her veto of the ordinance undermines these proposed public safety upgrades. The Council’s decision to override the veto provides funding for vital police and fire services that would likely remain unfunded if the Mayor’s veto had been sustained.”
The property tax is an average of $8 per household and is projected to raise about $1 million in city funding.
“In the conditions of inflation, residents and businesses face problems of meeting financial obligations; we all feel it,” said Council Finance Committee Chair Betsy Wilkerson. “This 1% increase can help the entire city in many ways: public safety, pay for our dedicated city employees, and homelessness. This 1% increase continues to invest in people and is fiscally prudent.”
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