The “Public Dollars for Public Benefit Ordinance,” which is expected to increase the safety and opportunities for local workers, awaits a vote from Spokane City Council on August 25.
If passed, the ordinance, called a community workforce agreement, would ensure that taxpayer dollars for city projects benefit local laborers while prioritizing the hiring of workers from distressed zip codes and minority identities, including women and people of color.
The ordinance was introduced by city council member Paul Dillon and council member Zack Zappone last month and created in collaboration with Spokane Alliance, a nonprofit coalition of churches, unions and community groups focused on promoting Spokane’s “common good,” according to its website…