Follow Seattle’s Example, West Says Spokane Urged To Pay For Own Convention Center

The city of Spokane should get creative and come up with money on its own for a proposed convention center, state Sen. Jim West said Wednesday.

West, chairman of the Senate committee that decides how the state’s money is spent, suggested Spokane increase the local sales tax or the hotel-motel tax.

“The city needs to participate financially and think of more ways to fund this,” West said during a post-session interview with The Spokesman-Review editorial board.

That’s the way major public projects in Seattle were funded, the Spokane Republican said.

West proposed either the county or the Spokane Public Facilities District, which operates the Arena, seek a tax increase for the convention center and improvements to the fairgrounds.

City Manager Bill Pupo said he doubted the local economy could generate the $6 million to $7 million in taxes needed each year for the proposed $60 million convention center.

“The economy here is significantly different than Seattle. We don’t have the number of hotel rooms or the volume of rental car business,” Pupo said.

The city sought state money this year after doing what past legislatures ordered, he added.

Two years ago, city officials were told they needed a detailed study of the project; they spent $300,000 on a study. Last year, they were told to wait until the Seattle stadium packages were put together; they waited.

“We’ve basically been following their legislative direction,” Pupo said.

West and Senate Majority Leader Dan McDonald, R-Bellevue, defended the recently ended session against the complaint by Democratic Gov. Gary Locke that little was accomplished.

The Republican-dominated Legislature toughened laws against drunken drivers and agreed to spend $26 million on salmon recovery, they said. It approved a $2.4 billion spending package for roads and other projects, but the plan needs voter approval.

Locke wanted an increase in the gasoline tax to pay for road construction. The Legislature approved a shift in the Motor Vehicle Excise tax.

The state shouldn’t raise taxes when it is collecting nearly $700 million more than it plans to spend, McDonald said.

Next year, the Legislature needs to examine the way the state Transportation Commission spends that money, West said.

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