Spokane County has added $1.5 billion in new construction this past year — its second-highest total on record — driven by steady population expansion and economic development. However, that regional growth is placing intense pressure on county finances, Commissioner Mary Brooks explained during her State of the County address.

“That’s a lot of economic impact and demonstrates that people want to live here and put down roots,” Brooks contends.

Brooks, the chair of the Spokane County Board of County Commissioners and District 4 representative, highlighted economic development, infrastructure investments, and the financial challenges accompanying the county’s growth during her final State of the County address before retiring at the end of the year.

Spokane County is home to more than 560,000 people, and projections indicate another 40,000 residents may arrive by 2030, Brooks says. That growth increases the need for jobs, housing, roads, utilities, public safety, and other government services, she adds. 

In addition, recent employment figures show a regional economy with mixed results across industries. Manufacturing employment has increased by 600 jobs, or 3.4%, to 18,000 jobs during the 12 months ending in August, while private education and health services employment rose by 1,400 jobs, or 2.4%, to 59,400 jobs. Professional and business services moved in the opposite direction, decreasing by 2,200 jobs, or 7.4%, during the same period, according to Washington State Employment Security Department data.

Transportation infrastructure also is a significant part of county development, says Brooks. Spokane International Airport completed its Concourse C expansion, part of its multiyear Terminal Renovation and Expansion, or TREX, program. A record 4.3 million passengers traveled through Spokane International Airport in 2025, and airport officials are forecasting another 2% to 3% increase this year, she explains.

Broadband expansion represents another component of the county’s growth expectations. Spokane County established the Broadlinc Public Development Authority in 2022 with $10 million in one-time federal funding. Brooks says subsequent federal grants are being used to extend broadband infrastructure to additional homes and businesses, particularly in rural areas.

The individual investments are part of a longer economic development strategy rather than isolated projects, she explains.

“It’s not just one announcement, not one groundbreaking,” Brooks says. “It is years of planning, infrastructure, and relationship building.”

The county also is preparing its 2046 comprehensive plan, which Brooks says will guide decisions on where future housing and commercial development occurs, and how infrastructure and public services accommodate that growth.

However, budget woes continue troubling the county.

Spokane County adopted a $983 million overall budget for 2026, including a $282 million general fund. Commissioners directed county departments during the previous budget process to identify 7% expense reductions and eliminate vacant positions, she says. Those reductions eliminated 120 positions, mainly through attrition, bringing the county workforce below 2,000 employees, according to a press release.

Maintaining the same level of county services in 2027 is projected to cost $32 million more than this year, Brooks notes. Sales tax revenue is expected to increase by about $9 million, and new construction is expanding the property tax base, but expenses continue to outpace revenue growth, she explains.

County liability insurance premiums are increasing 49%, or $5.1 million, while medical insurance costs are expected to increase 12%, or $4 million, adds Brooks. Additionally, new public-defense caseload standards could cost the county $15 million annually when fully implemented. Other expenses include environmental requirements, state clean-building mandates, insurance, and labor costs.

“These are not abstract numbers,” Brooks says. “Every new mandate without funding competes with deputies, roads, courts, parks, and the other services residents rely on every day.”

Public safety is among the services facing pressure as commissioners work through the budget. The Spokane County Sheriff's Department faces a $6 million share of the county’s projected budget shortfall, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at the event. Eighty-five percent of the Sheriff’s Office budget consists of employee salaries and benefits, limiting opportunities to make substantial reductions without affecting staffing, he adds. 

The department currently operates with 0.68 deputies per 1,000 residents in Spokane County, Nowels says. Calls for service have increased 31% over the past 15 years, while the number of calls per deputy has increased 45% during that period, he adds.

The Sheriff’s Office receives about 45,000 calls for service annually. Over the past five years, an average of 1,708 calls annually have gone unanswered because deputies weren’t available to respond, Nowels says. The department assigns about 11,350 cases for investigation each year, while an average of 885 cases have been closed without being assigned because of insufficient investigative resources, he says.

Those workload pressures come as several major crime categories are declining. Robberies in unincorporated Spokane County are down 43% from a year ago, assaults are down 14%, and burglaries are down 16%, Nowels says. However, vehicle thefts have increased following several years of declines.

County commissioners are tasked with balancing those service demands against the requirement to adopt a balanced budget, Brooks says.

The county's financial challenges are highlighted as Brooks prepares to conclude nearly a decade serving as a county commissioner. She joined the board in 2017 after serving as Spokane County’s chief deputy auditor. Her career also includes work as a certified public accountant, 10 years with the Washington State Auditor’s Office, and ownership of two small businesses.

Brooks points to rural broadband expansion, behavioral-health programs, parks and trail improvements, road projects, investments in the Sheriff’s Office, Avista Stadium improvements, and support for Fairchild Air Force Base among notable accomplishments of her tenure.

Her final State of the County address centered on “strength and resiliency,” with Brooks contending that Spokane County’s next phase of growth will depend on continued coordination among governments, businesses, and community organizations.

“Keep building partnerships, keep leading the way, keep doing the hard work today that will create a stronger and more prosperous tomorrow for every resident in our county,” Brooks says.