(The Center Square) – Hoping to redefine Spokane’s response to homelessness, local business officials are asking how voters feel about amending the city charter at the ballot box next year.
The Spokane Business Association floated the question in a weekly newsletter sent to residents last Thursday. The proposal comes just after the Spokane City Council overhauled its approach to the crisis following months of debate that left some residents pleading for more enforcement.
SBA called the draft amendment “a structural and constitutional-level correction” to what it sees as a failed system. The group frequently criticizes Mayor Lisa Brown and hopes to restore a law that nearly 75% of voters passed in 2023, which the city replaced with Brown’s own proposals.
“Introducing a draft City Charter Amendment known as the Spokane Public Safety, Health, and Jobs Act,” SBA wrote in the newsletter. “In honor of the 75% of Spokane voters who approved Proposition 1 in 2023—a voter mandate that was never implemented and ultimately overturned.”
The citizen initiative made camping illegal within 1,000 feet of a school, park, or daycare, while Brown offered what some consider a more holistic approach that also includes a camping ban.
The Washington Supreme Court recently invalidated Prop 1, ruling that it fell outside the scope of the initiative process. The decision allowed the council to restore the will of the voters through a majority vote, but the progressives who control the dais opted to go with Brown’s plan instead.
The mayor’s critics often claim that the Spokane Police Department wasn’t enforcing Prop 1, but data shows it was, just not to the extent many had hoped. Some business owners worry that the council’s new approach will maintain the status quo at the expense of safety downtown.
SBA’s draft amendment takes a different approach, setting clear expectations around “prohibited behaviors” and funding treatment paths. If approved, it would implement a zero-tolerance policy around public drug use, unlawful camping and obstructing public property and rights-of-way.
“This Article rests on the belief that enforcement of public safety laws and provision of shelter, treatment, and support services are not opposing goals,” according to the title and purpose of the amendment, “but mutually reinforcing duties of a compassionate, just and functional city.”
According to the proposal, SPD would retain discretion on when to take action but must provide a visible enforcement presence in “designated enforcement zones,” which include downtown.
Like Brown’s camping ban, SBA wants to enforce the draft amendment citywide and prioritize areas within 1,000 feet of a school, park, or daycare. The difference between them is that SBA requires a visible police presence and monthly reports on enforcement and service referrals.
Other than representing a significant power shift to voters, the council may take issue with the price tag. The amendment requires officials to allocate 5% of the general fund between enforcement and funding treatment and shelters, which would amount to about $13 million annually today.
SBA identified two existing taxes to fund the plan, but that could come at the cost of other cuts.
“We are hopeful that a four-vote majority of council members will place the charter amendment on the ballot early next year,” Gavin Cooley, SBA’s director of strategic initiatives, told The Center Square. “If not, we’ll look closely at placing it on the ballot by citizen initiative.”
