Spokane County’s $25M Budget Crisis

Spokane County faces a $25 million budget shortfall by 2027, forcing hard choices after already cutting 120 positions last year. With easy cuts exhausted, officials are demanding departments base 2027 budgets on 2026 levels, hinting at a hiring freeze and natural attrition. Revenue options include raising property taxes, tapping unused tax capacity, or imposing new taxes without voter approval. Major cuts are being considered — delaying sheriff’s vehicle purchases to save $1M, potentially eliminating the Parks, Recreation and Golf department to save $4M — while slashing hiring bonuses, closing a courtroom, and cracking down on inflated revenue estimates. With 75% of the budget tied to law and justice salaries and benefits, residents can expect service reductions if new money doesn’t materialize. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a7f6d3d193523587