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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 grant funding lapses.
Several council and staff speakers noted regional uncertainties. Wall and city officials described ongoing work on a 2023 “settle and adjust” with Spokane County that will finalize prior years’ costs and feed into 2024–2026 payments. They flagged county purchases and accounting decisions — notably a new helicopter, a training center that added operational expense, and new finance software and staff — as elements that raised indirect costs passed to contract cities. Holman said some spikes in county charges reflected multi‑year catch‑ups rather than steady annual increases.
SHREC facility and participation: staff said the Spokane County regional training / evidence facility (SHREC) has a new capital profile and that Spokane city participation is in mediation; the outcome could change user fees passed to participating jurisdictions. City officials said the facility’s debt and replacement costs, if amortized over a short window, would raise annual user fees; they are working to ensure appropriate depreciation periods.
Jail, prosecution and public defenders: the city also heard that jail medical contracts and detention costs rose sharply — staff said a medical contract reprocurement returned only a single, higher‑priced bidder — and that electronic home monitoring use has risen. The city flagged new state Supreme Court case‑load standards under discussion as a potential driver of further increases in public‑defender costs.
Operational adjustments and savings: Chief Ellis described targeted operational savings the sheriff’s contract partner may achieve: a proposed $250,000 reduction in overtime due to fuller staffing, and a possible reduction in vehicle purchases (an estimated $300,000 saving by reducing vehicle orders from 14 to 8 in a year with lower new‑vehicle need). Ellis cautioned some savings depend on staffing stability and on whether the council chooses to add officers via ballot funding.
Why it matters: law‑enforcement costs are the city’s largest single spending area and a major driver of the budget gap the city is trying to close. Council members debated whether to prioritize adding officers this year or to use other budget levers; staff emphasized many figures are provisional pending county settlement and further consultations.
What’s next: staff said they’ll continue the indirect‑cost review with an outside consultant, continue negotiating final settle‑and‑adjust amounts with the county, and return with updated law‑enforcement budget numbers and options tied to the council’s decision on ballot measures or fee changes.
