SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County voters will decide in August whether to renew a 0.2% sales tax — two cents per $10 spent — that funds the Spokane Transit Authority for the next 20 years. The existing tax expires at the end of 2028.
The STA says the tax generates roughly $30 million annually to cover operating costs, and that its $250 million in reserves is earmarked for capital projects — not day-to-day expenses.
“This is a renewal. We’re not increasing anybody’s taxes. And even if you are not an STA rider yourself, there are benefits to people who depend on transit,” said Carly Cortright, STA’s chief communications and customer service officer.
Not all riders agree. D’Anthony Hamilton, an STA bus rider, argued the money isn’t being well spent, particularly for elderly passengers.
“Let’s just get rid of taxes, man. We shouldn’t have to pay no extra taxes,” he said.
Fellow rider Michael Carr takes a different view.
“Them being able to keep it at .2% — I find that to be kind of incredible because everything else around us is certainly going up,” he said.
If the measure fails in August, the STA says it would seek another vote in 2027 before considering service cuts.
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