Council adopts amendment to special budget ordinance clarifying opioid funding breakdown

The Spokane City Council approved the Cathcart–Wilkerson amendment to a special budget ordinance (C-36710) that divides previously listed contractual opioid-related funds into separate spending categories. Mr. Wright, a city staff member, told the council the amendment "adds a couple's a breakdown of the way the money is spent, to 3 different categories."

Council member McCatgar moved to suspend the rules for purposes of considering amendments to ordinance C-36710; the council then voted to approve the Cathcart–Wilkerson amendment. Mr. Wright clarified that the version of the special budget ordinance had previously shown $730,000 under a single contractual line item and that the amendment “breaks it down into the specific areas.”

The action at the agenda review was to adopt the amendment to the ordinance language and to make that amendment part of the materials the council will consider at the legislative meeting. The transcript does not include the ordinance’s new categorical breakdown or dollar allocations by category; Mr. Wright said he did not have access to his computer to read further details during the agenda-review session.

Council members voted in favor of the amendment by voice vote; the transcript records approval but does not show a roll-call tally in this session.