Spokane council defers decision on $1M DOJ COPS hiring grant after hours of public concern

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 package and warned the council that condition 2 appeared to require exchanging "information regarding citizenship or immigration status" with Department of Homeland Security components. "Due to this condition, it is impossible for the city of Spokane to accept this grant," Liddy said.

Other speakers pressed budget concerns and local priorities. Megra (a community speaker) said the grant would cost the city millions over five years if the local match is required, calling it "a poison apple" and arguing that essential services such as housing and libraries should take precedence. Spencer Coffin, a Spokane resident and council observer, asked that the council read aloud the key award conditions on the record and receive a clear legal opinion stating whether acceptance would require changes to Spokane policy or conflict with Washington law.

Council members said they shared many of those concerns. Council member Klitsky said he needed additional legal input because some conditions "potentially" could create compliance risks; other members echoed the need for clarity about the local match and whether the city would be bound to implement policies that conflict with state law. Council member Dixit said she had not received complete legal answers and supported deferral so the administration could return with more detail.

The council deferred the matter to the Jan. 15 special meeting to allow the administration and legal staff to respond to questions about (1) the grant’s special conditions; (2) whether acceptance would compel policy changes or data sharing that conflict with state law or the city’s policies; and (3) the true multi-year fiscal exposure, including any local match or operating costs. The council did not vote to accept or reject the grant at the Jan. 12 session.

The special meeting on Jan. 15 is expected to include staff presentations and a city‑attorney review of the grant terms. If the council moves to accept the award at that time, it should expect recorded findings and follow‑up reporting as requested by several speakers.

(Next steps: item deferred to special meeting Thursday, Jan. 15, 1 PM.)