(The Center Square) – After years of back-and-forth, the city of Spokane is preparing to split from Spokane Regional Emergency Communications, the county’s 911 dispatch network, but the fight isn’t over yet.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1258 into law on Thursday, allowing the city to take back a portion of 911 tax revenue that the county collects to fund the network. The SREC Governing Board voted to kick Spokane out in January but recently “paused” the directive amid upcoming negotiations.
SREC Board Chair Cody Rohrbach told The Center Square that his team will enter mediation with the city and Spokane County on June 11. This new law allows the city to retain a significant portion of SREC’s funding to establish its own dispatch system, but the parties could still compromise.
“We have consistently advocated for both the [city and county] to receive a fair and proportional share — no more, no less,” Rohrbach said. “By returning the authority for this decision to the local level, the bill now acknowledges the importance of regional solutions over state-imposed mandates.”
Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall and Fire Chief Julie O’Berg applauded the bill signing on Thursday. They say HB 1258 recognizes Spokane’s vital role in dispatching and responding to 911 calls while protecting the resources that allow it to happen “now and into the future.”
The Spokane Fire Department was a member of SREC, but the Spokane Police Department never fully committed despite more than five years of negotiations. Last year, Mayor Lisa Brown criticized SREC’s funding model for relying on the 911 revenue and member fees she called a second tax on residents.
A consulting group found that SREC could stay afloat if it eliminated the member fees; however, the 20 other member agencies also voted to leave them in place to fund a new facility over the coming years.
According to HB 1258, the county must transfer a portion of its 911 tax revenue to the city based on the criteria provided under RCW 82.14.420 (7) and (8). That law requires the county to transfer an equitable apportionment, meaning tax dollars generated in the city stay in the city.
“This bill ensures equitable distribution of local 911 excise tax funding for emergency communications,” Brown wrote in a news release, “which is essential in building a fair, effective, and reliable system should the City of Spokane need to establish its own.”
Rohrbach told The Center Square that everyone agreed on a mediator who will guide the discussion next month. The goal is to “define what equitable funding looks like” for the region, though any changes won’t take effect until 2026. Until then, SREC will provide uninterrupted service across the county.
He confirmed that SREC’s funding remains stable, even if the city establishes its own dispatch system.
“SREC and its partner agencies remain committed to regionalization as the most effective approach to ensuring efficiency, service quality, staffing resilience, and sustainable funding,” Rohrback told The Center Square. “We continue to move forward with plans for a consolidated regional facility, with collaboration remaining central to that vision.”
