(The Center Square) – Spokane County voters will cast their ballots over 11 tax measures on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The county has 14 ballot resolutions listed on its website , three rescinded, leaving 11 for voters to decide. Four of those requests come from the local school districts, while the other seven, which this article will touch on, are from towns, cities and other municipal organizations.
SPOKANE AND SPOKANE COUNTY
The first tax measure on Spokane County’s sample ballot is its own Juvenile Detention and Jails Sales Tax renewal , which generates roughly $15 million annually. The one-tenth of 1% sales tax costs consumers approximately $1 per $1,000 spent and primarily funds Detention Services.
The next request comes from the City of Spokane and is also a one-tenth of 1% sales tax. The measure would cost consumers the same amount as the county’s renewal but would only generate roughly $7.7 million annually, with 15% of that going to the county.
Spokane intends to use that revenue for ” new investments ,” though some of those uses were previously supported by the city’s general fund, which is facing a considerable deficit . The county officials are worried voters will only pass one of the requests, and if it’s the city’s, Detention Services, which is used by both, would face a dramatic cut amid existing issues .