North Spokane Corridor:
The Washington State Department of Transportation submitted applications for three high priority Washington State transportation projects, including the North Spokane Corridor in Spokane, to compete for the $1.5 billion available in TIGER Discretionary Grants, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Each of the projects proposed to receive funding will improve mobility in major freight corridors, complement current state highway investment, and provide jobs. Read more about the North Spokane Corridor.

Proposition 4: 
Greater Spokane Incorporated recently worked to oppose Proposition 4 in Spokane. The bill did not pass.  A group called Envision Spokane created a "Community Bill of Rights" and put the bill on the November ballot.   GSI believes the ordinance would have driven businesses away from Spokane, hindering those wishing to move to our region. The proposition would have also had a negative effect on our local economy. For more information, click here.

Initiative 1033
Greater Spokane Incorporated recently opposed I-1033, and the bill did not pass. We acknowledge that it is important to support policies that require state, county, and local governments to maintain fiscal responsibility. However, we believe that I-1033 would challenge governments' ability to fund critical areas such as transportation infrastructure, public safety, education, and economic development. GSI is also concerned that; (1) Governments would be forced to realize new or additional taxes to fill funding gaps; and, (2) The mechanisms in this initiative allow voters in one part of the state to make decisions about local city government budgets in other parts of the state.

The Washington State Budget & Policy Center just completed a series of analyses detailing how I-1033 would impact four counties in Washington -- Snohomish, Spokane, Clark, and Yakima.   The series shows that in each of these counties, I-1033 would have devastated budgets for basic services had it been in place from the mid-1990s to 2008.   The initiative would have cost Spokane County about $105 million in general fund revenues during this time period.  To read the complete report on how I-1033 will impact Spokane County, please visit the Washington State Budget & Policy Center website.

Proposition 1: The City of Spokane General Obligation Fire Bond:
Greater Spokane Incorporated and its Board of Trustees recently supported Prop 1.  Prop 1 did not pass.
“As the request for fire and emergency medical services continues to increase, current equipment continues to age, and understanding that adequate services provided by bond funding is essential to a positive insurance rating for commercial and residential developers, it is important to ensure the essential services provided by the Spokane Fire Department are funded. Greater Spokane Incorporated supports Proposition 1, the City of Spokane General Obligation Fire Bond.”