Spokane city boundaries will expand by nearly 10 square miles on Jan. 1.

The Spokane City Council on Monday unanimously approved the city’s West Plains annexation, which includes the Spokane International Airport. Monday’s vote was largely a formality. The city, Spokane County and Airway Heights negotiated the annexation deal and gave preliminary approval to the expansion in 2009.

Airway Heights will grow by about a half-square mile next year. The land includes the sales-tax rich Walmart and was long claimed by Spokane.

Although it has no say over the annexations, the State Boundary Review Board for Spokane County will hold an informational meeting about the city expansions at 3 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Spokane County Public Works Building, 1026 W. Broadway Ave.

The annexations are the first in the state to move forward under a state law that allows cities to annex land by negotiating with county and other affected governments. Under the law, the review board has no say over the boundary changes.

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