Sales tax increase for policing passes in Spokane Valley

Spokane Valley residents on Tuesday agreed to boost sales taxes to boost its police force.

Spokane Valley Proposition 1 was approved with 59% of voters backing the 0.1% tax for more law enforcement equipment and deputies. The city estimates the new tax will raise at least $2.6 million in 2026.

The increase will bring the total sales tax up to 9% in Spokane Valley. According to the city, around 48% of sales tax is paid by people visiting the city, not residents.

The average yearly cost of the tax increase will be $12.43 per shopper and $28.48 per household.

“This is the first time in Spokane Valley history that we’ve had a general sales tax increase,” Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg said on Tuesday night.

In recent years, Hattenburg says the city has been making cuts in it’s budget and several staff members took zero raises to help with expenses.

This vote is huge for the city, Hattenburg said.

“It’s going to fix so many issues,” Hattenburg said. “We were facing possible lay-offs, and that would have been devastating. I really appreciate Spokane Valley residents.”

The new revenue could fund at least 10 more officers over the next two years.

“I’m thankful for the support shown by Spokane Valley City Council and the entire community. We’re very fortunate to have their trust and a shared commitment to public safety,” Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis said Tuesday night.

As the city has grown, so have calls for service, Ellis said. Having more officers in the city will allow the police to address response time to calls, have more presence in local schools and allow for more property and drug crime investigations.

“Minutes count,” Ellis said. “Having additional officers means we can have quicker response times.”

Two years ago, the city hired Matrix Consulting Group to review the efficacy of the city’s police department. The consultant group found policing in Spokane Valley has not kept pace with the city’s growth and recommended the city add 25 deputies. Since that report, the City Council approved and funded 10 additional deputies to the city’s police force last year by pulling funding from parks projects, street maintenance and cutting some city positions.

Still, the council said it would need additional revenue to fund the remaining 15 deputies. The city, along with the council, has typically been fiscally conservative with a tight budget as sales and property tax proceeds have stagnated and expenses have risen. The city contracts with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to provide its police department.

Spokane Valley City Council candidate Mike Kelly, who will advance to the general election in November based on Tuesday’s results, said he was encouraged by the results for the public safety measure. He said part of his interest in running is to ensure that funding goes to the public safety needs within the city, as is detailed in the measure’s language.

“A penny out of every $10 not much to ask,” Kelly said. “In general, I’m not in favor of more taxes but I think this one will go to a good cause.”

Police services are the city’s biggest recurring cost, totaling more than half of the city’s 2025 general fund budget.

Software engineer Kris Pockell, who will face Kelly in the general election, said he was happy to see the public safety sales tax measure pass. He would like to see the department add additional co-response teams that partner with Spokane Valley deputies with mental health professionals for relevant calls, school resource officers and homeless outreach deputies.

“I’m very excited to see voters in the Valley agree that it’s important we give the right funding to the police and give the Valley Police Department the tools they need to succeed,” Pockell said.

Reporter Nick Gibson contributed to this report.