Local Government

Spokane mailed a whopper of a utility bill this month: $57.4 million.

Spokane City Councilman Michael Cathcart will run for Spokane County Auditor in 2026, cutting his current term short if he were to win, he announced Wednesday evening.

Four months into a presidential administration that has sharply pivoted into a more aggressive stance with foreign nations, slashed foreign aid and proposed deep cuts to the State Department, Rep. Michael Baumgartner met in Spokane Wednesday with former ambassador Ryan Crocker and retired Vice Admiral Mike LeFever to argue America should not retreat from the world stage – though largely without any pointed criticism of the White House.

The Spokane Valley City Council clawed back funding intended for public safety Tuesday to help cover the costs of the ongoing legal struggles with a member of the governing board.

State Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, has spent the last three months performing the roles of both legislator and Spokane County treasurer, but he announced Tuesday that he intends to make good on a pledge not to run for re-election to the Legislature so he can focus full time on the treasurer’s office.

The Inland Northwest took a step towards a regional, coordinated response to homelessness this week, although not to the lengths advocates once hoped.

Spokane residents and visitors from elsewhere in the county report feeling safer downtown today than they did six months ago, though widespread concerns remain, according to a recent survey.

One of two 1,000-home developments in the infrastructure-strained Latah Valley has cleared one regulatory hurdle, but it certainly won’t be the last.

The Spokane City Council is seeking applicants for a roughly four-month stint on the council to fill a seat being vacated by Councilwoman Lili Navarrete.

Craig Volosing knows Palisades Park.

The Spokane County Commission is starting to make a habit of unveiling new recreational amenities on Wednesdays.

A Spokane woman will receive up to $180,000 to settle a claim for damages three months after a city fire truck slid down an icy hill and struck her home.

Spokane City Councilwoman Lili Navarrete will resign effective June 30, she announced Monday.

Neighborhoods in Spokane will soon be able to more easily and cheaply close down their block for a party or community event between June and Halloween.

Patience is a virtue, and Spokane County Commissioner Al French wants the region to keep that front of mind while waiting on a nearly $50 million federal investment in an Inland Northwest aerospace manufacturing hub.

One-time opponents are coming together to try to draft a unity plan for a major investment in Spokane County’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems after a similar attempt flamed out in 2023.

Spokane’s most vulnerable residents will no longer have assistance in preparing for the devastating effects of climate change, if the Trump administration follows through on its intent to rescind nearly $20 million in federal funding.

A once-contentious bill to claw back Spokane’s share of taxes funding the regional 911 dispatch service was signed by Governor Bob Ferguson Thursday – and after some modifications, all sides appear pleased by the outcome.

Spokane City Councilwoman Lili Navarrete has introduced a law to prevent federal agents without arrest warrants within areas of city parks where groups are holding ticketed community events or other areas normally limited to park staff.