Commissioner Mary Kuney says Spokane County’s ‘building the future’ in state of the county address

Spokane County Commission Chair Mary Kuney highlighted the county’s progress addressing top issues in the region and challenges still to come on Thursday at the 2024 State of the County Address .

Hundreds gathered in the Spokane Convention Center’s Centennial Ballroom for the annual address hosted by Greater Spokane Inc., the region’s chamber of commerce and economic development nonprofit.

“Building the future” was the overriding theme of Kuney’s address, in which she touched on the county’s efforts to enhance public safety, make infrastructure improvements and address the opioid epidemic.

“We truly are building the future one day at a time,” Kuney said. “We are all here only for a moment, but what we do today affects us all and for generations to come.”

Kuney said she and her fellow commissioners view public safety as their No. 1 priority, and with assistance from Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, explained some of the investments they’ve made in service of that mission.

Nowels said the county’s newly formed real time crime center has been a valuable tool for his deputies and local law enforcement. The commissioners invested around $4 million into the facility in 2022 and have allocated additional funding for equipment purchases in the months since.

Nowels said the center allows law enforcement to access around 90 traffic cameras as well as a number of hand tilt zoom cameras and mobile surveillance towers, like the ones often seen in the parking lots of grocery stores. In the 10 months the crime center has been up and running, it’s helped deputies solve 302 cases, recover 108 stolen vehicles and locate 11 missing persons.

While the sheriff’s office has been able to address some longstanding vacancies by attracting about 40 new hires this year, the county is still well below the state average of 1.4 officers per 1,000 people, which itself is well below the national average of 2.3 officers.

At the same time, calls for service are on the rise, jumping 70% since 2008, Nowels said.

Kuney said the commissioners will continue to “confront the realities of today,” and pivoted to the county’s ask to the voters this November to renew a 0.1% sales tax that serves as a major funding stream for the county’s juvenile detention facilities and jails. If approved, the tax revenue will continue to go toward operating and maintaining facilities, she said.

“Many around the state regard Spokane County as a leader in juvenile justice,” Kuney said. “Our programs are effective in helping our young people get back on the right track, such as diversion and alternatives to detention, like electronic monitoring.”

The county launched a number of infrastructure and recreation projects this year for parks, major thoroughfares and rural residents throughout the county. Kuney touted the work done this summer on Bear Lake and Liberty Lake regional parks, planned improvements to the Plantes Ferry Sports Complex and Tuesday’s groundbreaking for a new park on the West Plains. The projects are funded almost entirely by federal COVID relief dollars, Kuney noted.

Kuney also pointed to the Bigelow Gulch Urban Connector project, which is in its final stages, and the work being done to bring internet access to remote corners of the county through the regional broadband development authority Broadlinc.

“One of the best ways to build our future is by connecting our rural communities,” Kuney said. “It has been an honor to serve as the chair of the Broadlinc board.”

The county also has invested in community resources and assets, such as the ongoing makeover of Avista Stadium, the expansion of the Spokane International Airport and programs combating the opioid epidemic.

In May, the commissioners voted to allocate $7.2 million in opioid settlement funding toward building a more robust data network for substance abuse, expanding services provided by community partners, the treatment and support for parents of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and an expansion of the Spokane Regional Stabilization Center.

Looking at the year ahead, Kuney noted that the commissioners are in the middle of updating their comprehensive plan by 2026 and establishing their 2025 budget.

As sales tax revenues halt regionally and statewide, Kuney said the county will not increase the budget next year. While they don’t expect to make major cuts, the commissioners have asked departments to identify “efficiencies” in maintaining services.

“We are committed to doing what is necessary: keeping the county’s budget fiscally healthy and sustainable for the future,” Kuney said.

The county is hosting two more open meetings this year where the public can give feedback on the budgeting process. They will be held at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 15, and 2 p.m., Nov. 5, in the commissioner’s hearing room in the Public Works Building on the county’s West Central campus.

Kuney took the time to thank outgoing Spokane Transit Authority CEO Susan Meyer for leading the organization for nearly 20 years. Meyer announced in June she will retire at the end of the year.

“Few have done more to build our region’s future than Susan,” Kuney said. “Under her guidance, STA has thrived, ensuring efficient and accessible transfer for all.”