Spokane County and Kalispel Tribe reach new agreement that excludes Airway Heights

Spokane County and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians have reached a settlement that brings the county $296,000 in back payments and outlines how much the tribe will pay in the future for government services, such as law enforcement.

The settlement is significant in large part because it excludes any involvement from Airway Heights, which has historically played a greater role than the county in providing the tribe with services. Northern Quest, one of the tribe’s casinos, sits within the city limits.

The Spokane County Commission approved the agreement June 6, although the terms weren’t disclosed at the time. The county has since shared a copy of the contract in response to a public records request.

Under the new agreement, the Kalispel tribe will pay Spokane County $150,000 a year for the next 20 years, primarily to offset costs to the county’s police and court systems. The contract also requires the tribe to give the county nearly $300,000 to cover outstanding payments from the past three years.

The Kalispel Tribe has to make direct payments to receive services because many of its properties are held in trust by the U.S. government. Trust lands aren’t taxable and don’t generate any direct revenue for local governments.

The recent settlement replaces a 17-year-old arrangement between the Kalispel tribe, Spokane County and Airway Heights. The old arrangement required the tribe to make an ever-increasing annual payment, with 80% going to the city and 20% to the county. Most recently, the tribe theoretically had to pay the two jurisdictions more than $350,000 a year.

Spokane County and Airway Heights haven’t been receiving any payments since 2020.

Airway Heights City Manager Albert Tripp did not respond to requests for comment, and the Kalispel tribe declined to answer questions. But the city and tribe’s relationship is strained, with both sides arguing the other has failed to live up to its contractual obligations.

According to the county’s settlement agreement, the tribe feels that Airway Heights hasn’t been adequately maintaining roads or providing sufficient “emergency, fire, police and court services.”

In a December news release, the city says the tribe in 2020 stopped making payments as required by two separate contracts and owes $1.5 million. The City Council in late 2022 voted to stop providing the tribe with services except when there’s an imminent threat to human life and when resources are available.

Tripp said in the news release that providing the tribe with services costs Airway Heights about $1.5 million annually, a substantial figure for a city with a $14.6 million budget.

“It’s unsustainable to subsidize the Tribe’s operations while serving the public safety of all citizens without payments from the Tribe,” Tripp said.

Spokane County Commissioner Al French, a Republican who represents the West Plains, said the county doesn’t expect to break even with the new agreement.

“It’s about a relationship between a sovereign nation and Spokane County,” French said. “It’s a mutually beneficial agreement, it’s not a money generator.”