Spokane holds first town hall on Together Spokane initiative ahead of November vote

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks and Recreation held the first of four community town halls Monday night to discuss the Together Spokane initiative, a pair of ballot measures aimed at funding more than 200 projects across the city.

The initiative includes a $240 million levy for Parks and Recreation and a $200 million bond for Spokane Public Schools, both intended to support improvements over the next 20 years. Monday’s town hall, held at Rogers High School and led by SPS Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard and Parks and Rec Director Garrett Jones, offered residents an opportunity to learn about planned projects, ask questions and share feedback.

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Community response was mixed Monday night, with some residents, like parent Dominic Booker, excited for the initiative despite its tax increase, recognizing it as a long-term investment in the city’s future.

“It’s kind of one of those things that we’re not going to see right off the bat, but it is going to be beneficial in five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten years,” Booker said. “We’re going to see the benefit of initiatives like this being passed.”

Others expressed concerns about ongoing tax burdens and community issues.

Russell Neff, who wrote an argument against the SPS levy in the voter guide, attended the meeting to better understand its potential impact, particularly on city parks.

“I feel like this city, like the state, is just constantly being taxed all the time,” Neff said.

Neff said he liked the parks improvement suggestions but pointed out concerns such as lack of law enforcement accountability affecting park conditions.

“If we are not enforcing the law by the level that it should be, will the investment be damaging people?” Neff Questioned.

The Spokane Public Schools and Parks departments emphasized that the full benefits of the Together Spokane initiative hinge on voter approval of both the levy and the bond. If only one measure passes, some joint projects may be modified or delayed.

Additional town halls are scheduled to engage residents from other Spokane regions: Central on September 23 at North Central High School Commons, Northwest on September 30, and South on October 7.

For more information and to estimate how the initiative could impact individual taxpayers, visit TogetherSpokane.org.