Sep. 11—Between shake-ups in the federal and state government, ongoing public health and safety concerns and a $20 million shortfall that’s fast approaching, Spokane County leaders have their hands full this year.
On Thursday, Spokane County Commission Chair Mary Kuney detailed the board’s efforts to navigate those challenges and address the region’s top issues at the 2025 State of the County Address in the Spokane Convention Center’s Centennial Ballroom.
Hosted by Greater Spokane Inc., the annual event gathers hundreds of prominent community members, business owners and political leaders to hear directly from the county’s top governing board.
Kuney’s speech focused on the many ways Spokane County is “leading the way” in a variety of initiatives and programs.
She began her remarks by acknowledging the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, thanking first responders and acknowledging those lost in the line of duty locally over the past year, including the two Idaho battalion fire chiefs killed in a shooting ambush in June while responding to a fire.
On Aug. 9, Spokane County lost one of its own first responders. Spokane County Sheriff Sergeant Ken Salas was assisting a driver removing a hay bale from Interstate 90 near Cheney when he was struck and killed by a motorcyclist. Salas, 59, was a 34-year veteran of the agency and was set to retire soon.
“This past year has been a powerful reminder of the risk our first responders face every single day,” Kuney said. “They head into each shift not knowing what the day will bring or if they’ll make it home.”
The county commissioners continue to hold public safety top of mind, Kuney said, pointing to the June purchase of a new helicopter for the Sheriff’s Office, investments in regional treatment centers like Maddie’s Place and the formation of a Safe and Healthy Spokane Taskforce. Composed of regional business, elected and community services leaders, the taskforce is formulating a plan for another attempt at a public safety tax measure in 2026 that would fund a new jail as well as a regional treatment facility.
The taskforce will have more to share about its work in the near future, Kuney teased during her remarks.
Kuney added that the Sheriff’s Office is also now fully staffed for the first time in two decades, a move that prompted the commissioners, in part, to end their recruiting program that offered cash bonuses for new hires.
Sheriff John Nowels said crime is also down year over year in unincorporated Spokane County, aside from spikes in shoplifting and simple assault. In most cases, serious crimes have fallen by double digits. The drop in crime, he said, is due in large part to the support his office receives from the commissioners, their partners in the criminal justice system and the residents of Spokane County.
“It is because we have the most professional law enforcement people that we can find,” Nowels said. “They are attracted to work here in Spokane County. They are out here to serve you and make sure your community is safe.”
Both Nowels and Kuney noted Spokane County is on track to see an overdose death per day in 2025, which they’re working to address through investments in addiction services, a new treatment facility and heightened targeting of drug traffickers. Spokane County law enforcement agencies seized more than 150,000 fentanyl pills in 2024, which Kuney said is three times the amount seized two years ago.
“The opioid crisis is not only having an impact on the streets, but it is a tremendous strain on the resources of both fire and police,” Nowels said.
County parks in 2025 have had a banner year following renovations to two leading swimming venues, a well-loved sports complex and the creation of a new recreation site on the West Plains.
Kuney said construction on Camas Meadow Park, a 10-acre parcel at on the corner of Melville and Fruitvale roads, will be completed this fall. Public Works Spokeswoman Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter confirmed the completion would come after the end of the recreation season and while the grass is still being established, meaning residents will have to wait until spring for an official opening.
The county commission dedicated $7 million toward the project, primarily in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Also on track for completion this fall are expansive upgrades to the parking and sports facilities at Plantes Ferry Park, for which the county dedicated $9.2 million, Kuney said.
Bear Lake Regional Park near Mead received $3.4 million worth of amenity upgrades, including the addition of sandy beaches, a nonmotorized boat launch roundabout and three new accessible fishing docks.
In eastern Spokane County, the more than 3,500-acre Liberty Lake Regional Park reopened in May following a $4.2 million renovation project that, like Bear Lake, closed the park for much of the 2024 season. Zephyr Road that winds to the park’s entrance was widened, the parking lot was paved and new shade structures and restrooms were installed on the swimming area beach.
“These projects bring more than just recreational opportunities,” Kuney said. “They’re about building community, supporting wellness and investing in the quality of life for everyone in Spokane County.”
Kuney said residents across Spokane County can look forward to several infrastructure projects next year, including broadband network expansions, traffic safety improvements and pavement preservation projects. Residents will also have opportunity to weigh in on the long-term development of Spokane County as the commissioners finish their update to the county’s comprehensive plan.
Challenges, however, are on the horizon, Kuney said.
Spokane County departments face cuts as the county enters the final stages of its 2026 budgeting process. County officials identified a projected $20 million shortfall amid rising costs and stagnating tax proceeds earlier this year, which led the commissioners to put a freeze on nonessential hiring county-wide. The board also has asked all department and agency heads to reduce their costs by 7% to help balance the budget before it’s approved in December.
“Balancing the budget will require teamwork across departments with some tough choices,” Kuney said. “But by staying focused on smart investments and cutting where we must, we can prioritize savings and efficiency.”