(The Center Square) – Anticipating dozens of new recruits, the Spokane Valley City Council will vote on Tuesday over awarding a contract to remodel its police precinct for over $300,000 less than budgeted.
The project will retrofit the precinct to accommodate 10 new hires that the council funded last year as part of a recommendation from consultants in 2023 to expand the Valley’s force by 28 officers. Voters also approved a tax hike last week to fund the next round of recruits, which the city will hire by 2027.
The Valley still needs to secure ongoing funding for the final round of new hires, but will have to make space for the first 10 before then. The city went out for bids in June, with one including the minimum work required to accommodate those first ten officers, and two others that could take care of them all…