Spokane City Council Approves Public Safety Sales Tax
The new 0.1% sales tax will fund a community safety campus and expanded behavioral health services starting in 2027.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Property Crime
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Spokane City Council members voted 6-1 to implement a new 0.1% public safety sales tax within city limits. The measure is projected to generate over $7 million annually to support a new community safety campus and behavioral health initiatives.
Why it matters
The tax is designed to consolidate municipal court and police operations at the Rock Pointe East site, aiming to reduce long-term lease costs while enhancing emergency preparedness in the city.
The council approved the 0.1% tax with a 6-1 vote, adding 10 cents to every $100 spent in the city. The ordinance utilizes state law to implement the collection without requiring an additional public vote.
The players
Spokane City Council
This is the primary legislative body responsible for governing the city of Spokane, Washington, and managing municipal ordinances.
The details
The new revenue will be directed toward constructing a city-owned safety facility and bolstering behavioral health responses. By bringing municipal court and police services under one roof, the city aims to mitigate ongoing lease expenditures.
Timeline
In 2024, voters previously approved a separate 0.1% public safety sales tax.
The Spokane City Council voted to approve the new tax in October 2026.
The new sales tax takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Legal Context
This tax implementation follows the precedent set by the 2024 voter-approved public safety sales tax. The council move reflects a broader trend of leveraging state-authorized taxing powers to bypass public referendums for major infrastructure.
Residents will notice a small increase in costs at the register, totaling $1 per $1,000 spent on taxable purchases. This change is intended to centralize city emergency services to improve overall community response and safety operations.
The takeaway
The city is positioning this new tax as a long-term solution to reduce facility lease costs through the creation of a centralized campus. Residents should prepare for the tax increase to begin automatically at the start of 2027.
Further reading
For more information on ongoing efforts to manage local crime, visit the Spokane property-crime section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Center Square.
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Should city councils have the power to raise local sales taxes without a public vote?
