The Spokane Valley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the use of funding from Proposition 1, the city's one-tenth of 1% public-safety sales tax, to add law enforcement and behavioral-health capacity over 2026.

The motion approved by the council directs staff to use Proposition 1 funds to support 10 dedicated positions and one shared position, fully fund an existing behavioral-health deputy (the co-deploy behavioral-health position previously supported by a grant), incorporate an additional shared major-crimes detective, and purchase vehicles and complete contract amendments as necessary to implement the changes in the city's law-enforcement agreement.

Deputy City Manager Eric Lam and Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis presented the staffing recommendation and described how the Proposition 1 funds and the city's earlier budget actions together respond to the staffing shortfall identified in a matrix study. Lam said the motion's package "would give you 23 total positions that were part of the matrix study analysis out of the 31 that it recommended," when combined with positions funded in the 2025 budget. He added the shared position would split time approximately 50% between county and city responsibilities.

Chief Ellis and staff said the behavioral-health deputy previously had been funded by a grant that ended in the summer; the Proposition 1 authorization will make that position ongoing. Lam said collections from the public-safety sales tax begin in January and that hiring would start then and be phased through 2026.

Public commenters were split in tone. Mike Dolan, who testified after the presentation, urged that the city needs still more officers and criticized the pace of hiring, while other attendees thanked the council and voters for the investment in public safety.

Chairing the vote, the mayor called for the question; the motion passed unanimously on a roll call of present council members. The motion directed the city manager to take any action required to implement the staffing changes, including notice to Spokane County and the Sheriff's Office and execution of any necessary contract amendments.

Why it matters: The vote commits voter-approved sales-tax revenue to staffing, equipment and contract changes for policing and a behavioral-health co-deploy model. It advances a multi-year effort to increase sworn and civilian public-safety positions identified in the city's staffing matrix and signals that hiring will proceed in 2026 when Proposition 1 collections begin.

Implementation notes: The council motion includes authority for the city manager to execute amendments and provide required notices. Deputy City Manager Lam said staff will proceed to implement the changes consistent with the law-enforcement contract and the staffing plan.