Mayor Lisa Brown: Closing the gap: How my first proposed budget puts Spokane back on track

By Mayor Lisa Brown

A city’s budget is more than a financial document. It is a values statement and a roadmap for the future.

In recent years, the city of Spokane’s financial health has deteriorated. One-time funds were repeatedly used for long-term investments, unallocated reserves were depleted by $12.3 million, and funding sources set aside for long-term capital investments were redirected to fill the gaps. All of this combined means I inherited a $25 million structural deficit within our general fund for 2025, and a total deficit of $50 million over the next biennium.

The day I took office was the day we stopped digging. The city began operating within the inherited budget rather than exceeding it. We identified where we could make reductions and found efficiencies, while still continuing to deliver the essential services our community relies on.

We postponed the 2024 Fire Academy to save costs and ensure that we did not bring on new recruits only to turn around and lay them off before a year of employment. Members of the Spokane Police Guild and Lieutenants and Captains Association came forward requesting to activate a clause in their collective bargaining agreement to offer voluntary retirement incentives to eligible officers. Members of our Managerial and Professional Association also collaborated with us to offer voluntary retirement options for its members.

Across our departments, we eliminated vacant roles, absorbed work into existing positions, took voluntary furlough days, delayed cost-of-living adjustments and renegotiated contracts, all with the intent of finding savings where we could. It has been a team effort that has required difficult decisions, sacrifice and creative problem-solving, and it has been effective.

These measures are not just short-term fixes, but essential practices to ensure the city of Spokane remains on a sustainable financial trajectory.

Given the scale of this challenge, I am pleased to present a $2.5 billion proposed budget in which resources and expenditures are balanced in each calendar year and over the biennium.

My proposal incorporates key budget principles like using one-time funds for one-time costs, maintaining adequate levels of reserves, and establishing prudent management oversight and controls on hiring and spending.

But not only does my proposal ensure we stay on a fiscally responsible path, it places a key focus on investing in our community’s future.

My budget proposal seeks to increase funding for our public safety departments, so they have the tools and resources they need to serve our community effectively and safely.

Rather than rely on one-time funds, I am making sustainable investments to address our homelessness and opioid crises by tapping into state and federal funding, reimagining the systems relied on by our most vulnerable and putting streams of affordable housing dollars in play.

My budget proposal establishes a new Grants Department, so we can proactively identify and secure outside funding from state and federal resources to address pressing issues like homelessness, housing and environmental sustainability.

Through a budget-neutral move, my administration is creating a new structure to ensure direct lines between the mayor’s office and neighborhoods. This will increase responsive action to community needs, give residents clearer access to information, and amplify their voices within city government.

And on top of all of this, my budget proposal responds to the growing need for affordable and accessible housing by investing in economic development initiatives to streamline permitting and accelerate the process to meet the needs of our residents.

I see this proposal as a turning point. This budget sends a clear message: Spokane is back on track, prepared for the challenges ahead, and ready to embrace new opportunities for growth.