(The Center Square) – Little more than one hundred days as Spokane’s newest Mayor, Lisa Brown will give her first State of the City address on April 30.
The Mayor’s luncheon is being held on Tuesday at the Spokane Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. Community members will have the opportunity to hear from Brown and the new administration on the city’s most pressing issues.
Since assuming office, Brown has established five transition committees, each named after crucial priorities the new administration hopes to address. These include Enhancing Public Safety and Building Trust, Investing in Economy and Workforce, Building a Resilient Future, Enriching Families and Communities, and Improving Health and Housing Options.
Brown’s administration asked each committee to form three to five recommendations that the Mayor would consider and potentially enact during her first hundred days in office. On Tuesday, Brown will provide updates on the recommendations.
Among the priority recommendations are working alongside the county to address public safety, which the Mayor recently highlighted with a proposed levy that would cost taxpayers around $40 million annually. The measure is one of two levies the city hopes to bring to the ballot in August.
Spokane is also pursuing a parks levy that would raise approximately $225 million of taxpayer funds to build three new parks and 30 playgrounds over the next 20 years, according to the levy details.
The levy proposals are weighing on communities as they determine what’s more important. Spokane is currently facing a $50 million budget deficit, and during a press conference earlier this month, Brown said that around 200 people could lose their jobs if the public safety levy fails.
Those interested in attending the event can register online with Greater Spokane Inc. Regular in-person tickets cost $60 for members and $75 for non-members. Corporate tables that seat eight people are also available, costing $500 for members and $600 for non-members.
