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Council hears growing law‑enforcement costs, uncertainty over SHREC and jail spending
Summary
Chief Dave Ellis and city managers told the council that law‑enforcement contract costs continue to outpace sales‑tax revenue growth, that Spokane County indirect costs and SHREC participation remain unresolved, and that one deputy in the city’s behavioral‑health unit likely will move from grant to city funding starting July 1.
City officials spent a substantial portion of the June 10 budget workshop on law enforcement and related public‑safety contracts, telling council members that policing costs have accelerated faster than the city’s primary revenue sources and that several county‑level and regional issues could push costs higher.
Chief Dave Ellis told the council the department’s recruiting effort is “fully staffed” and that having additional deputies has stabilized patrol visibility and response. But finance staff said law‑enforcement costs, including collective‑bargaining impacts and county indirect charges, were a key driver of the city’s recurring cost increases. Finance Director Chelsea Walls summarized the law‑enforcement outlook as an assumed base increase (roughly 5% in staff estimates) plus the cost of dedicating a deputy to the behavioral‑health unit if state…
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