Spokane City Council approves sales tax increase for safety campus

Spokane City Council approved a 0.1% increase in the local sales tax to fund a new criminal justice campus, about one week after Spokane County approved a similar tax increase.

The decision was made during a council meeting on Wednesday, October 14. The tax increase is expected to generate revenue for the construction of an $18.5 million criminal justice facility, as well as mental health training for 911 dispatchers.

The tax is expected to generate more than $7 million a year. It passed in a 6 to 1 vote, with council member Michael Cathcart being the singular opposed vote.