Spokane mayor proposes increases to public safety over next biennium
(The Center Square) – The Spokane Police Department could see a funding increase of over 33% under Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposed budget for the next biennium, with fire services also receiving a 14% boost.
Brown released her 2025-2026 budget proposal on Saturday, seemingly closing a $25 million general fund deficit. According to a letter she sent to the city council, the proposal adjusts the approach from prior administrations, matching revenues and spending while building reserves.
“My 2025-2026 budget proposal ensures fiscal responsibility while addressing key issues like public safety, homelessness, and the opioid crisis,” Brown wrote in the letter. “I have secured new resources and identified budget-neutral efficiencies to deliver on some of our community’s key needs.”
Public safety, homelessness and drug use were among residents’ biggest concerns in a recent survey where they ranked Spokane’s quality of life at 3.7 out of 10. Brown’s proposal takes steps to address this but also assumes the passage of her Community Safety Sales Tax hike.
Brown included a table in her letter that showed $227.8 million in funding across the Spokane Police Department’s operating and capital budgets for the next biennium. The total is roughly 33.4% more than the $170.72 million budgeted for SPD across the past two years.
When broken down, Brown’s proposal sees SPD’s operating budget increasing from $89.3 million to $108 million for 2025, nearly 21% in a single year. That amount would then increase by another 5% to $113.4 million for 2026.
The mayor’s budget also increases SPD’s capital costs by 6.7%, or a little over $204,000, for a total of $3.26 million in 2025; however, that would decrease in 2026, just below current funding.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of my team,” Brown wrote in a news release, “and our workforce whose sacrifices and efforts have been essential in making this progress possible.”
Brown’s proposal would take the Spokane Fire Department’s total budget to $172.9 million over the next biennium, roughly 14.7 more than the $151.1 million allocated over the past two years.
Like SPD, SFD’s total funding is divided between operating and capital costs. Under Brown’s proposal, SFD’s operating budget would increase from $75.1 million to $79.76 million, roughly 6%, in 2025; operating costs would rise again the following year to $82.9 million, about 4%.
Meanwhile, SFD’s capital budget is slated to increase to $4.5 million next year, roughly 112.7% more than the $2.1 million budgeted for 2024. Under Brown’s proposal, the department’s capital costs would increase again in 2026, increasing the capital budget to $5.69 million, another 25%.
“Together, we are returning to fiscally responsible budgeting principles that will support the City’s long-term health,” Brown wrote in closing her letter to the council. “Your commitment to sustainable finances has been instrumental in achieving these changes, and I look forward to continuing our work to create a vibrant, sustainable future for Spokane.”
