Mark Your Calendars For This One

The Spokane City Council is expected to vote at its regular meeting on Monday, July 28, on resolutions to place a proposed street levy on the ballot in November. Tonight and next Monday, the Council will accept public testimony on the issue at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers in the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

The streets refinancing proposal provides for significant new work for the community at the same rate that citizens pay today for streets and parks. Currently, Spokane’s citizens pay 91 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value toward the repayment of three street and park bonds. With strategic refinancing, the dollars generated from that same level of funding could be used to provide:

·         $25 million annually for street funding.  That level of spending, which includes matching funding, would maintain the level of street work completed annually on under the 2004 Street Bond.  Work could be focused on the City’s arterials.

If you have thoughts on this proposal, now would be the time to voice them. A lot of people are asking if the bond would provide for sidewalks, bike lanes and other amenities that the original street bond didn't. This would be a great time to go to City Council and ask, or state that those are priority items to you, if they are.