(The Center Square) – As Spokane continues to grapple with its structural budget gap, the city now says the deficit stands at $14 million after a series of cuts and new contracts. Mayor Lisa Brown proposed two additional cost-saving measures on Wednesday
Brown and other city officials referred to the structural gap as a $50 million deficit a few months ago. However, since a July budget meeting , the language has shifted toward referring to it as a $25 million deficit, which fails to consider the nearly $21 million in depleted reserves since 2019.
Still, Brown has proposed two new measures after taking several steps to remedy the overwhelming deficit she inherited in January. This round of proposals includes voluntary retirement incentives, similar to another recent measure for law enforcement, and delaying annual cost-of-living adjustments for her cabinet members.
“When I took office, I made a commitment to our residents to manage the City of Spokane’s finances responsibly,” Brown wrote in a news release, “and today’s updated projection is a testament to that promise.”