City Council Approves 2025 Budget

SPOKANE VALLEY, WA-The Spokane Valley City Council voted six to one to approve the 2025 city budget at the Nov. 19, 2024, Council meeting.

The new budget, which is $149.6 million, will be in effect from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. This includes $64.7 million in the General Fund and $84.9 million in 30 other city funds. Estimated recurring General Fund revenues of $63.7 million increased 3.8% from 2024, while estimated recurring General Fund expenditures of $63.2 million increased 6.02%. Included in the overall total $149.6 million is $56.3 million in capital expenditures, funded 82% by state and federal grant dollars.

The Council held three public hearings ahead of the final budget adoption and encouraged community members to provide input via public comment or by contacting Councilmembers directly.

The 2025 budget advances the Council's adopted priorities, identified at its budget planning retreat on Feb. 13, 2024.

• Goal: Increase public safety response to ensure everyone feels safe in Spokane Valley. The budget prioritizes public safety with a 13.94% increase, including funding for 12 new law enforcement-related positions approved by the Council in 2024.
• Goal: Prioritize infrastructure maintenance and preservation and advance strategic capital projects through grant awards. The budget maintains historic levels of the city's street maintenance programs. It also enhances the economy by improving mobility, connections and efficiencies by investing $56.3 million in capital infrastructure offset by $46.1 million or 82% in grant revenues.
• Goal: Continue economic development efforts to maximize business growth and develop tourism destinations. The budget supports businesses and the related economic activities that fund city services by investing in retail recruitment and sports tourism, including completing the Spokane Valley Cross Course.
• Goal: Maintain our strong financial position. The budget projects a General Fund 2025 ending fund balance of $37.7 million, or 59.68% of recurring expenditures. To balance the budget without raising taxes, expenses in all General Fund departments will decrease by 5.43% and two vacant full-time positions will be unfunded, reducing the employee count from 118.25 to 116.25.
• Goal: Utilize strategic partnerships to aggressively reduce and prevent homelessness in Spokane Valley. The budget maintains regional participation and strategic partnerships to combat homelessness and allows for dedicated revenue sources through local recording fees and state and federal grants. The increase in public safety expenditures includes one additional homeless outreach officer, ensuring seven-day-a-week staffing.
• Goal: Expand homeownership opportunities so more local people own homes. The budget includes expenses and offsetting grant revenue for updating the Comprehensive Plan and addressing the middle housing shortage and opportunities to promote affordable housing development.

The budget is anticipated to be posted online by Dec. 1 at SpokaneValleyWA.gov/Budget.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jill Smith, Communications Manager
c: 509-953-6695, [email protected]

###