Ex-commissioners oppose tax for radio system, hotline

Former Spokane County Commissioners John Roskelley and Kate McCaslin are urging voters to reject a 0.1 percent sales tax for police, fire and other emergency communications.

Roskelley confirmed Wednesday that he and McCaslin wrote a statement against the tax for publication in the November general election voters guide. He’s a Democrat; she’s a Republican.

McCaslin and Roskelley responded to a recent request by current county commissioners for volunteers to write pro and con statements.

The tax measure would raise more than $7 million a year for emergency communications systems, including a new radio network and restoration of the Crime Check hotline for reporting incidents that don’t warrant calling 911.

“Kate and I both believe very strongly that the network is needed, but it’s just a question of how to pay for it,” Roskelley said.

He said he and McCaslin, who couldn’t be reached for comment, also support restoration of Crime Check, which was severely curtailed and renamed in late 2004 when the city of Spokane was no longer able to pay its share of the cost.

Roskelley objects to the tax proposal on grounds that the communications improvements were supposed to have been accomplished with the 0.1 percent sales tax voters approved in 2004. That’s how former Sheriff Mark Sterk persuaded commissioners to put the measure on the ballot, Roskelley said.

He said the plan failed because 60 percent of the money went to cities, and there wasn’t enough left when city officials decided to use their share for other law enforcement purposes.

All of the new tax would be controlled by county commissioners, but “it will raise more money than needed,” Roskelley said.

He said the tax will generate an annual surplus of “just a little over $3 million,” and it won’t have a sunset clause like the five-year limit on the previous law enforcement sales tax.

Commissioners have said the extra money will be needed for upgrades and rising costs in the 911 emergency communications center, which would be separate from Crime Check. But Roskelley said 911 costs are supposed to be covered by a tax on telephone service.

“The telephone tax should cover that and, if it doesn’t, maybe the Legislature should allow us to raise the telephone tax,” Roskelley said.

Also, he said, the “regressive” sales tax “hurts the poor more than the wealthy.”