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Commissioners reject Spokane County payment for Martin Hall consortium budget
Summary
A motion to approve Spokane County’s annual participation in the Martin Hall juvenile-detention consortium failed 0–5 after a commissioner said the county pays more than $300,000 a year with no return; the board recorded the negative votes and moved on to other business.
A commissioner framed item 5a as an annual procedural step tied to Spokane County’s participation in a nine-county consortium that funds Martin Hall, a juvenile-detention facility in Medical Lake. The speaker said the county does not use the facility yet remains bound by the consortium’s long-term structure and annual budget approvals, describing the arrangement as a legislative obligation formed with decades-long terms.
The commissioner said Spokane County has attempted repeatedly to withdraw but faces contractual and structural obstacles, and said the county is paying ‘‘well over $300,000 a year and getting 0 return for that investment.” The motion to approve the item was brought forward for discussion but the same commissioner said they would vote against it; the motion failed on a 0–5 vote.
The vote leaves the county continuing to participate operationally in the consortium for now, but the comment highlights ongoing internal disagreement among commissioners about the county’s cost–benefit from that regional arrangement. No amendment or alternative funding approach was adopted at the meeting.
