If Mayor David Condon gets his way, Spokane will hire another 10 police officers next year, growing the city’s police force by nearly 20 percent since he became mayor.
Condon unveiled some of his 2019 budget proposals in a news conference Tuesday, including his $1 million plan to hire 10 more officers. He’s also pushing the Spokane City Council to come up with $1 million to keep 48 firefighters currently paid for through grants that expire later next year.
But Condon did not offer a plan to pay for his priorities. Instead, he’s leaving that to the City Council and further negotiations.
Condon’s police proposal would grow the Spokane Police Department from 328 officers to 338. The department has grown by 42 officers since Condon first took office in 2012.