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City of Spokane Budget
Developing the City's annual budget is nearly a year-round endeavor that involves determining what services and programs we will provide, how much they will cost, and how we will pay for them. We hope this will give you a better understanding of where your tax money goes.
2008 Budget Overview:
The 2008 City of Spokane Adopted Budget totals $611 million and includes the following key components:
- A $144.7 million General Fund. This portion of the budget supports general municipal services, including police, fire, criminal justice, streets, parks, libraries, planning, community and economic development, and a host of smaller specialized services aimed at neighborhoods, youth, the arts, historic preservation, and human services, among others. The majority of this fund is supported by general tax dollars, including sales, property, and utility taxes.
- A $216 million Enterprise Funds Budget. These funds are supported by fees charged for services and include water, water reclamation, stormwater collection, garbage pick-up and disposal, building services and code enforcement, and golf operations. This area of the budget continues to grow because of significant capital projects in both water and water reclamation. The budget includes money citizens pay for basic services as well as rate stabilization charges that pay for capital projects. Many projects are needed to meet environmental requirements at the water reclamation plant and to reduce overflows from combined sewers.
- The rest of the overall budget is used primarily for Capital Projects, Debt Service, and other Special Dedicated Fund expenditures. These non-operating funds are reserved for capital projects such as major arterial street projects and public works upgrades, debt service on general government bonds, and special dedicated revenue and other funds, which include local law enforcement block grants and special quality of life projects.
- The City also has "internal services" funds. These internal programs include fleet services, management information services (MIS), and risk management that charge fees to other City departments to cover the cost of their services.
See the 2008 Adopted Budget Financial Summary
More information on the City's budget is available by calling the City's Finance Division at 625-6585. |
