Spokane County sheriff worries approval of city measure could prevent future public safety efforts
Sep. 21—The appearance of county and city criminal justice tax measures on the November ballot has some local leaders worried about the viability of both, and the future of the regional criminal justice system.
Spokane County is seeking to renew a nearly 30-year-old 0.1% sales tax that helps fund the juvenile detention center, while the city of Spokane is hoping voters will approve a new 0.1% tax within city limits that is intended to expand police, fire and municipal court services.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels has come out in opposition to the proposal from Spokane City Council and Mayor Lisa Brown. He said it lacks enough accountability measures to ensure the funding will go to those services. He pointed to the lack of a sunset date on the tax and the proposition's vague language setting the funding aside for "community safety."
He worries that city leadership could use that language to put the tax revenue towards projects outside the scope of fire, police or municipal court services.
"If the mayor, council, whoever says, 'Oh, for public safety, we want to make a physical improvement to the downtown and say that it's going to help traffic,' that can be used for that," Nowels said. "Does that put more cops on the street? No, it doesn't."
He believes the city should have supported the county's failed proposal last year that would have secured funding for a new jail and public safety efforts across the region, including millions for the city's services.
As the county eyes bringing a similar proposal forward next year, Nowels is worried approval of the city's measure could kill the attempt before it gets off the ground.
"My concern is if the voters pass the 1/10 inside the city of Spokane, it's going to seriously cripple what we do regionally that I think could be more impactful to community safety, including inside the city limits of Spokane," Nowels said.
He would like to see more cooperation between local elected leaders on efforts intended to improve community safety. He believes those discussions should have been happening between the city and the county ahead of this year's measures.
Commissioner Amber Waldref doesn't share the same concerns about both measures appearing on the ballot, saying it's just a product of the circumstances the two governmental bodies find themselves in.
The county's longstanding juvenile justice tax is set to expire next year, and the city is facing real budget challenges. Both are time-sensitive issues, and elected leaders are trying to be responsible, she said.
"I see it more as happenstance," Waldref said.
Brown shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing that the city's proposal is in response to community safety concerns voiced by residents.
She agrees that there could be better coordination among local governments in the region on when they decide to ask voters to increase taxes, including school districts, fire districts or public utilities, in addition to municipalities.
On the possibility of another jail measure, Waldref said she hopes regional collaboration could lead to its passage and the possibility of reforming the adult system just as the county's juvenile tax has freed up county funds to be used for alternative justice programs.
"I think everyone agrees, or at least wants to see more programming and more alternatives for adults," Waldref said. "I'm hoping we can have another community conversation within the next year that can make major reforms on the adult side."
Brown said she's working with county leadership to come together around a new regional public safety proposal.
"I've been clear with the county that we want to collaborate on a new initiative where the city and the county are on the same page about what investments we would make, both in the quality and capacity of the incarceration facilities, but also in the behavioral health and treatment that needs to go along with that for it to really be effective," Brown said.
