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Spokane Valley council approves midyear 2025 budget amendment adding roughly $13.9 million in spending
Summary
The Spokane Valley City Council on May 27 approved Ordinance No. 2056, a midyear amendment to the 2025 budget that adds roughly $5.4 million in revenues and $13.9 million in expenditures; Council Member Merkel registered the lone recorded dissent.
The Spokane Valley City Council on May 27 voted to approve Ordinance No. 2056, a midyear amendment to the city's 2025 budget that increases revenues by about $5,400,000 and expenditures by about $13,900,000, with roughly $3,500,000 of the change recorded as interfund transfers.
Finance Director Chelsea Walls told the council there had been no changes since the ordinance's first reading on May 13 and summarized the financial change: "This amendment adds about 5,400,000 in revenues and about 13,900,000 in expenditures. About 3,500,000 of those are interfund transfers between our various City funds." Walls said staff was available to answer questions.
Why it matters: the budget amendment adjusts planned spending and reserves for projects, operations and one-time items across multiple city funds for the remainder of 2025. Council discussion focused on the public safety budget line items impacted by the amendment.
Council Member Merkel said he would oppose the measure, arguing it reduces funding available to the Police Department. "I think that we are radically missing an opportunity to continue to fund our Police Departments. We are defunding the Police Department with this proposal," Merkel said. Council Member Patton responded that the Police Department budget has increased significantly over recent years and that the department had ordered only vehicles that fit within the revised budgeted amount.
The council approved the ordinance on the motion on the floor; the motion passed and the ordinance was adopted.
Clarifying details: Chelsea Walls provided the amendment totals (approx. +$5.4M revenue / +$13.9M expenditures / ~$3.5M interfund transfers). Council discussion noted a reduction in budgeted vehicle replacement amounts and removal of funding for a vacant city staff position in the Public Safety budget; Walls said the vehicles already ordered for 2025 fit within the adjusted totals.
The council moved on to other agenda items after approving the amendment.
