County votes to end Valley street services
Commissioner says city already doing most of its own work
Spokane County on Tuesday ended its road partnership with Spokane Valley, effective Oct. 15.
County Commissioner Mark Richard said that it no longer made economic sense for the county to continue with its contract with Spokane Valley to provide the city street services.
When the city incorporated in 2003, Spokane Valley contracted with the county to provide most of the services connected with the new city’s streets. Gradually, many of those responsibilities have been taken over by the city.
“What’s left with our contract is really just a fraction of what we started with,” Richard said. He added that the decision likely won’t result in county layoffs because administrators expect to save money by dropping services to the city.
Services that the county still performs through a $1.8 million contract with the city include plowing, striping and installation of road signs. Those will be discontinued Oct. 15, based on the county commissioners’ unanimous vote Tuesday. The decision to delay the termination of the contract until the fall means the county still will provide the city’s plowing for the coming winter.
Richard said the county hopes to maintain a partnership with the city for maintenance of traffic lights.
Spokane Valley officials were stunned.
City Manager Dave Mercier said the city faces “stunningly high” capital costs to acquire road graders, plow trucks and other equipment, as well as a garage and offices.