Author: Tim Clouser | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As Spokane continues to grapple with its structural budget gap, the city now says the deficit stands at $14 million after a series of cuts and new contracts. Mayor Lisa Brown proposed two additional cost-saving measures on Wednesday Brown and other city officials referred to the structural gap as a $50 million…

(The Center Square) – Spokane County is certifying the primary election results tomorrow but already has its sights on November ahead of an anticipated battle over tax proposals with the City of Spokane. Both municipalities will have sales tax proposals on the general election ballot, though the county’s is a renewal for detention services, while…

(The Center Square) – As the primary election wrapped up Tuesday night, several faces emerged as front runners for the western half of the state in the upcoming general election.  Western Washington is home to around 39 of the state’s 49 legislative districts. While one overlaps into Chelan County, most of the districts are much smaller…

(The Center Square) – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown found herself at the center of controversy over the weekend after rumors surfaced that the city plans to open a homeless shelter in neighboring Medical Lake. The ordeal all started after Brown visited Medical Lake’s Pine Lodge on Saturday. She claims the trip was to determine whether…

(The Center Square) – Spokane’s elected officials are on another recess from city business, this time for a two-week vacation less than a month after taking another week-long holiday; however, the timing of those breaks may violate state law. The city disseminated a list of cancellations earlier this year, noting that the city council would not meet for…

(The Center Square) – Spokane County voters have just over a week left to cast their ballots for the Aug. 6 Primary Election. From a new governor to five local tax measures, voters will have their say. While state and federal officials usually take up the spotlight, they’re not the only ones on the ballot. Fire services…

(The Center Square) – Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels took a stand on Thursday, calling on Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown to pull her sales tax increase from the ballot before it results in a massive funding cut to the jails.  Nowels took to an informal newsletter thread on Thursday morning to give his two cents on the…

(The Center Square) – Spokane is considering whether to expand its residential rent protections to commercial properties, which could result in legal challenges, while also fining vacant property owners. The city council passed a pair of rental protection measures over the past few months, first expanding the notice period when increasing rates, then codifying a…

(The Center Square) – With providers unable to pay their bills under current insurance rates and increased costs, Spokane County is considering forgiving almost $2.3 million in affordable housing debts.  The Spokane County Board of County Commissioners discussed writing off the unpaid debt and reducing the interest rates on other loans to 0% during Tuesday’s briefing…

(The Center Square) – The Moses Lake School District plans to sell two surplus properties as it scraps together all the money it can amid a financial crisis that has put more than 200 people out of work. The district’s board of directors announced its intent to sell during Thursday’s meeting, issuing a press release afterward…