County Plans No Tax Increase Budget Includes More Spending, $10 Million For Reserve Fund

Spokane County commissioners plan to hold the line on general property taxes next year while modestly increasing government operations and putting away a healthy reserve.

Commissioners will unveil their proposed budget for 2001 at a public hearing Monday. They are expected to adopt the budget no later than Dec. 12.

The plan calls for spending about $300million on services such as law enforcement, street repair and land-use planning, said Marshall Farnell, the county’s budget administrator.

“We’re going to spend a lot of money next year,” County Commissioner Phil Harris said. “But we’re going to be returning a higher level of service, and there are no new taxes. It’s a good budget.”

It will be the second straight year commissioners have not raised the property tax rate, although some people’s taxes may increase because the value of their property has risen.

Any increase in spending is being offset by increased revenues from other areas, including a projected 3 percent rise in sales tax proceeds, Farnell said.

Commissioners also are setting aside at least $10 million in reserve for 2001. This year, their rainy day fund helped the county weather a $1.2 million hit from the revenuezapping car-tab initiative passed by voters in November 1999.

While they say there is little fat in next year’s budget, commissioners have approved a few extra items for some departments.

Sheriff Mark Sterk’s request for more than $360,000 to keep the serial killer task force operational for another year seems likely to be approved, despite a few misgivings from commissioners.

Harris and colleagues John Roskelley and Kate McCaslin wondered during their budget deliberations why the four-detective task force was necessary now that Robert Lee Yates Jr. has confessed to being the killer and has been sentenced to 408 years in prison.

Sterk convinced commissioners that leads generated during the investigation still need to be followed, at least for a while, Harris said. In addition, the task force has been asked to help Pierce County authorities make their case against Yates in two murders there.

Sterk has assured commissioners that Pierce County will reimburse Spokane County for some costs.

The commissioners also are leaning toward helping out the local Economic Development Council and the Inland Northwest Technology Education Center, and the medical examiner is in line to get a new bone saw.

Items still under consideration include a new sheriff’s substation in the Spokane Valley, at a cost of more than $700,000, and new election equipment for the county auditor, estimated to cost more than $1 million.

It’s the second year County Auditor Vicky Dalton has requested the new election equipment.

This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Hearing

Monday’s meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the lower level conference room of the Public Safety Building, 1026 W. Broadway.