Hession releases plans for tax surplus

Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession unveiled his plans Friday for spending more than $10 million that went unspent in 2006.

Much of that money came from higher than expected sales tax revenue.

Hession suggested putting $3.2 million into reserves. Added to what’s already in the fund, the allocation would set aside an amount equal to 10 percent of the city’s general fund.

Hession’s list also includes:

“$3.5 million to install a new heating and air conditioning system as well as other energy improvements at City Hall.

“$1.5 million for a new computer system.

“$500,000 for neighborhood planning.

“$500,000 for police cars.

“$400,000 for a traffic study that would be used by the city to charge developers fees for impacts their projects have on transportation.

“It reflects well on our strategic budgetary plan,” Hession said of the surplus.

The mayor’s proposal received mixed reaction from the council, which would have to approve the expenditures. Councilman Bob Apple, for instance, said he could support much of the list but questioned the price for the heating and air conditioning system.

Councilwoman Mary Verner, who serves as the chairwoman of the council’s Finance Committee, said the panel had asked for a meeting with Hession and his staff to discuss priorities for the cash surplus in hopes of reaching a consensus. Instead, the mayor issued a spending list late on a Friday afternoon.

“I guess when I see the proposal I’ll know better. Overall, these all sound like reasonable expenditures,” said Verner, who is running against Hession in the August primary. The only item that seems new is a proposed $10,000 allocation to help residents displaced from the Otis and New Madison hotels, she added.

Councilman Al French, who also is running for mayor, said he, too, had not yet seen the mayor’s list but said many sounded like ideas that he or other council members had suggested before.

“It’s really the mayor catching up to us,” he said.