City of Spokane and City Council Announce 2026 Legislative Agenda

City of Spokane and City Council Announce 2026 Legislative Agenda

Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, [email protected]

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 10:20 a.m.

During the Monday night legislative session, the Spokane City Council voted 5-2 to adopt a resolution outlining the City of Spokane' s legislative agenda for the 2026 state legislative session. The city' s legislative priorities typically reflect a range of policy and budget concerns and are not easily categorized by their impact on equity. However, it is anticipated that the city' s stated priorities regarding state funding for social service programs and housing will benefit historically marginalized communities

"We hear from our community that they want fairer taxation, consumer protections, investments in our infrastructure and housing, and continued efforts to make Spokane an affordable place to live," said Council Member Zack Zappone. "I'm excited to support a state legislative agenda that is reflective of our needs."

Notable Priority Issues include:

• Support Waste-to-Energy to protect jobs, ratepayers, and the environment
• Expand "parking-to-People" to create more housing
• Building exemptions for fairer taxation

Budget Priorities include:

• Reappropriate lapsed funds to complete critical improvements and expand the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Academy, which is currently over capacity. This renovation will allow more officers to train locally, reducing the costs associated with training recruits outside the region.
• Expand behavioral health and substance treatment resources, including support for Spokane's SMART teams that provide multidisciplinary, rapid responses to people in crisis. Secure additional funding for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and other programs that serve the homeless.
• Increase access to affordable childcare, including more state-subsidized slots, workforce development, and new facilities, such as those developed by the Northeast Public Development Authority to serve workers on nontraditional hours.

Other key issues include affordable housing, street and sidewalk repairs, metal-studded tires, Keep Washington Working, cryptocurrency consumer protection, and tourism promotion.

The legislative priorities are recommended by the City's Legislative Team, which includes three council members, city staff, and contract lobbyists, who meet regularly throughout the year. The City Council adopts these priorities in accordance with SMC 02.02.030 after consulting with the aforementioned parties.

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