Spokane County puts sales tax renewal request on November ballot

Spokane County voters will be asked to renew a nearly 30-year-old sales tax this November that funds detention facilities and jails for juvenile offenders.

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to put the ask on the ballot this fall.

If approved, the 0.1% sales tax would be in effect from Jan. 1, 2026, till Dec ember 2035. The Spokane County Juvenile Detention Facility & Jails Sales Tax allocates funding for costs associated with “operating, maintaining, repairing, equipping, re-equipping, financing and remodeling of juvenile detention facilities and jails,” according to the measure approved by the commissioners.

Under state law, a portion of the proceeds raised could be put towards the adult detention facilities and associated costs if needed.

“The Board recognizes the importance of our juvenile justice system, from supporting youth making positive changes, to providing accountability that protects community safety,” Commission Chair Mary Kuney said in a written statement. “This proposal is a renewal of an existing tax, something that has been approved by the voters five times previously and passed most recently in 2015 with nearly 70% voter approval.”

The tax generated $15.8 million in revenue last year, and the funds help cover the costs of employing 25 correction officers, four probation counselors and three medical staff members and administrators, according to a news release from the county. The tax also helps keep the county’s 39-bed juvenile detention center operating 24-7.

The tax was first approved by voters in 1995 and was renewed with overwhelming support in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2015. Nearly 70% of voters approved the most recent renewal set to expire at the end of next year.

The number of felony offenses adjudicated in Spokane County Juvenile Court grew by 25% from 2022 to last year, and misdemeanor cases grew by 44%, according to the release.

Commissioner Chris Jordan said last week that the tax helps cover the costs of the court system, as well as the resources available to juvenile offenders, like trade skill trainings, medical and mental health care, sobering services and education opportunities.

“The juvenile piece of this is really about kids, right?” Jordan said in a prior interview. “And it’s about helping detained youth make positive changes in their lives early on, so they don’t become justice-involved later on as adults. The goal with a significant piece of this project is about helping youth lead safe, stable, productive lives as adults.”

Commissioner Al French, who’s seeking re-election this year, said ahead of Tuesday’s vote that he had some trepidation, but supports placing the ask on the ballot because he believes the voters of Spokane County should have the opportunity to weigh in on the issue.

“This is a renewal of a tax that’s been in place for well over 20 years, and it’s a little bit challenging for me to support this effort at this time because I know that there are a lot of people out there that are hurting financially,” French said.

French said public safety is a topic “near and dear” to him, and he’s supported efforts aimed at increasing community safety over the past few decades he’s held an elected office, on the Spokane City Council and the Spokane County Commission.

“This tax has served the community well for the last several, actually the last couple of decades,” French said. “But again, I’m supporting it because I want the voices of the voters to be heard, and I don’t want to stand in the way of that.”