Spokane Valley city staff present draft budget for 2018

When the lights went out across the Spokane area during the 2016 November storm, they also went out at the Spokane Valley Police Department precinct building.

That was one reason Spokane Valley Police Chief Mark Werner requested a $100,000 natural gas powered generator be installed at the Sprague Avenue building as Spokane Valley staff presented its draft 2018 budget at a day-long budget workshop Tuesday.

City Manager Mark Calhoun praised staff for producing a budget that followed his directions of providing a “status quo level of service” and aimed for an increase no greater than 1 percent.

However, the preliminary 2018 budget increased by 1.45 percent, due in part to an expect increase of 2 percent to the public safety budget.

“Public safety is one of our top priorities,” Calhoun said. “We talk the talk and walk the walk.”

The 2017 budget grew by 0.87 percent, and when adopted in the fall of 2016, Calhoun told the Spokane Valley City Council he wasn’t sure it could be accomplished again in 2018.

Calhoun said staff can “only pull so many rabbits out of the hat” to keep budget growth at less than one percent, and warned the Council that by 2019 staff may have to cut recurring expenditures to keep budget growth under the target.

The 2018 budget as presented leaves approximately 67 percent of expenditures in a reserve account – though numbers may change before the budget is adopted – and for the ninth year in a row does not call for a property tax increase. The Council makes the final decision on property taxes in October.

The biggest item on the budget, the contract with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services, is being renegotiated, so few details were available at Tuesday’s presentation.

Staff expects to have the new contract ready for discussion at the July 11 Council meeting.

One of the biggest challenges faced by Spokane Valley is the dwindling street fund.

“It looks grim beyond 2018,” Calhoun said. “There is not enough money to do what we would like to do.”

In 2016, the Public Works Department estimated a $6.1 million deficit across street operations and maintenance, construction and pavement preservation, but assistant city manager John Hohman said staff is working through the details of how that number was reached.

More information will be brought to the Council in a series of upcoming meetings where the public will have a chance to weigh in on possible solutions.

Roads much less pockmarked than those in Spokane are often touted as a major Spokane Valley achievement, said Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard, adding that the city shouldn’t let its more than 400 miles of roads fall apart.

“You can let them go for four or five years if you want, but then you can’t catch up,” Woodard said. He added that Barker Road, a main north-south corridor, also must be improved.

“We have got to find a solution,” Woodard said.

Other budget requests included $901,807.66 over five years to pay for an officer dedicated to enforcing commercial vehicle regulations and road weight restrictions.

A $121,200 computer application called Q-Alert, which would make it easier for staff to locate and respond to problems reported via the city’s website was also requested, as was $50,000 to pay for a retail recruitment specialist.

The Spokane Valley Parks and Recreation Department requested $250,000 for updates and repairs at CenterPlace Regional Event Center.

Of that, $200,000 would go to electrical and other construction on the west lawn so the center can better accommodate large events like this weekend’s Crave! festival. The floor in the great room of the 12-year-old facility also needs repair, said Mike Stone, parks and recreation director.

Stone also requested $200,000 to add perimeter lights and a path to Browns Park.

The requests are not automatically included in the budget but will be debated by the Council at upcoming meetings.

Said Councilman Sam Wood: “Economic development has to come first, then fixing the roads and develop or purchase park land.”

Coucilman Mike Munch agreed.

“If we bring in more businesses, we won’t have to raise taxes,” he said.