Spokane County gives preliminary OK to 3% increase for court security contractor to limit new tax hit

Spokane County commissioners signaled agreement Sept. 22 to approve a 3% increase for PPC, the county's court security contractor, and directed staff to finalize the contract before Oct. 1 so the county can limit the effect of a newly applied sales tax on professional services.

County staff said the new tax already added about $75,000 to $77,000 in contract costs for 2026 and that approving the 3% would raise the contractor's hourly rate but allow the county to “grandfather” part of the cost if the agreement is signed before the Oct. 1 tax change. Risk-management staff estimated final combined costs for 2026 would rise from earlier projections; staff also said final savings from signing early would be modest — roughly $8,000 spread between the end of this year and the start of next year.

The request originated from the county’s court and facility screening contract. Staff told commissioners that PPC screens large volumes of people at county courthouses and has blocked thousands of prohibited items; one staff member said, “They do an excellent job for us quietly.” Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether the county pays PPC on a per-officer, per-hour basis and whether reducing screening stations or officer counts would be an option to cut costs.

Staff said the contract is paid by the hour for each security officer and that reducing hours or closing screening stations (for example, if a courtroom moved out of a facility) would reduce cost but could raise safety concerns. Risk staff warned that reducing officers per screening station could create single-person stations that might miss items being screened and called that “a dangerous step backwards.” Commissioners also discussed options such as closing a separate annex station and routing entrants through a primary entrance, which could reduce hours but would shift workload to fewer screens.

Commissioners heard that PPC had absorbed some hours in prior months and was working to limit additional charges; staff said PPC agreed to cover two hours of juvenile weekend coverage that public works previously supplied. Staff also noted that the contract includes annual renewals and that PPC is permitted to request increases under the existing terms.

After discussion, commissioners gave what staff characterized as a consensus approval of the 3% increase and directed staff to finalize and sign the agreement before Oct. 1 to retain the limited tax-avoidance benefit. Staff warned the board that if the increase were not approved, the county still would face the new tax amount embedded in the contractor’s hourly charge and that other budget offsets would be required.

Commissioners said they would continue to press for contract terms in future renewals that clearly define timing and requests for increases so the county is not caught by late requests again. The county will bring the finalized contract back to the records and execute the amendment per the staff direction.