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Spokane council defers decision on $1M DOJ COPS hiring grant after hours of public concern
Summary
After extended public testimony raising legal and budgetary concerns, Spokane City Council voted to defer consideration of a U.S. Department of Justice COPS hiring grant (OPR2025-0886 / Ord. C36825) to a special meeting on Jan. 15 so staff and the city attorney can clarify conditions and fiscal obligations.
A Spokane City Council vote to accept a $1,000,000 U.S. Department of Justice COPS hiring grant was postponed after more than a dozen residents urged the council to reject or delay the award. Council member Dylan moved to defer the grant and a related special budget ordinance to a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 15, citing outstanding legal and budget questions; the motion carried.
Public testimony focused on specific clauses in the grant packet that speakers said could force the city to share immigration-related data and to comply with federal executive orders regardless of state or local law. Jim Liddy, police‑accountability director for Spokane Community Against Racism, read language from the award…
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