(The Center Square) – With the next election just a month away, Spokane County voters have until Aug. 5 to decide on four tax proposals that could affect the cost of living in the region.
Spokane County will mail out mail ballots from July 16-18. The deadline to register to vote is July 28, and ballot drop boxes will close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Outside of the tax measures, voters will weigh in on local races for various city councils and fire districts ahead of the general election.
Aquifer Protection Area
The first proposal on the August ballot, which may also impact the most taxpayers, would renew and expand the county’s Aquifer Protection Area. State law allows areas to establish APAs, with fees tied to water use and sewage disposal, costing a home in Spokane around $30 annually.
Spokane County propped up an APA in 1985, but the city of Spokane chose not to participate when much of the region first renewed it in 2004. If approved, this renewal would last for 20 years, including the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the town of Millwood.
The APA renewal and expansion proposal needs only a simple majority to pass and would not increase taxes. Instead, it would keep the current fees spent on protecting the water supply.
City of Spokane Valley
Spokane Valley is asking voters to approve the first general sales tax increase since it officially incorporated as a city in 2003. The .01% tax hike would cost consumers a dime for every $100 spent to fund ten new police officers, following recommendations to hire about 30 in 2023.
Local officials say the city can’t afford the new hires without additional revenue unless it offsets the cost by making cuts to other services. The city council didn’t leave much wiggle room in the 2025 budget and has rejected annual property tax increases allowed by state law since 2009.
The public safety sales tax proposal requires a simple majority vote to pass in August.
Fire District 8
Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 8 is asking voters to approve a 21-cent levy lid lift to restore a rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value since 2000. Voters passed the lid lift in April, but the district encountered a filing error that required it to rerun the bid in August.
If approved, the levy would cost someone with a median home value of around $400,000 approximately $16.66 per month, or $200 annually. That revenue would help expand staffing, replace medical equipment and buy an “alternative response vehicle” to make medical calls more cost-effective.
The levy lid lift requires a simple majority to pass.
Fire District 13
Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 13 is asking voters to renew its emergency medical services levy. Taxpayers approved the current levy in 2009, which is set to expire at the end of 2025. If approved, this would retain the rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Like Fire District 8, this levy would cost someone with a median home value of $400,000 approximately $16.66 per month, or $200 annually, and would only require a simple majority to pass. The levy will help maintain current operations and ensure that necessary maintenance is kept up to date.
The EMS levy requires a simple majority to pass.
