Spokane County

05/29/2026

Join us, Tuesday, June 2, for our Comprehensive Plan Community Forum to discuss the Environmental Impact Statement, which will show how proposed development impacts our natural environment.

⌚ 5:30 p.m.
📍Mead High School Library | 302 W Hastings Rd, Spokane WA 99218

The Comprehensive Plan is a blueprint to guide growth and development in Spokane County for the next 20-years. The Plan shows how and where the county will accommodate an expected 100,000 new residents by the year 2046.

Public participation is vital to this process, and several community forums are scheduled to facilitate public involvement. The Community Forums, or workshops, are where the public has an opportunity to provide input on the growth alternatives being studied and analyzed.

You can learn more about the Spokane County Comprehensive Plan on our website: www.spokanecounty.gov/5381/2046-Comprehensive-Plan

05/28/2026

Congratulations on your fur-ever home, Uncle Gary!

There are still many animals looking for their forever homes, our team at SCRAPS maintains an up-to-date list of adoptable pets on our website!

https://www.spokanecounty.gov/595/View-Adoptable-Animals

05/28/2026

🚨Heads up, the US National Weather Service Spokane Washington is forecasting scattered thunderstorms across the Inland Northwest today (Thursday), with the most active weather expected from 2 p.m. to midnight. Some storms could bring damaging winds, heavy rain and lightning.

High winds can bring down trees or branches and cause power outages. Now is a good time to get ready. Visit myavista.com/outage to learn more.

Here are ways to prepare for a possible outage:
✔️Charge phones, backup batteries and other essentials before the storm moves in.
✔️Keep flashlights, fresh batteries and a portable radio in an easy-to-find place.
✔️Make sure you have water, food, medications and pet supplies on hand.
✔️If you rely on electrically powered medical equipment, have a backup plan in place.
✔️Stay away from downed power lines and report outages when it is safe to do so.

We encourage customers to stay weather-aware and have a plan in place before conditions change. Follow US National Weather Service Spokane Washington for the latest forecast updates.

05/26/2026

SCRAPS is hosting the next S.N.I.P. event! Spots are limited, learn more below!

Paws up if your pup needs a spay/neuter!

SCRAPS is excited to host the next SNIP event, where SNIP will be offering 100 free dog spay/neuter surgeries on June 7.

Spots fill fast — register at www.SpokaneSnip.com.

Flyer with full details is attached!

05/26/2026

In observance of the annual Memorial Day holiday, Spokane County offices and departments will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026. Please note that SCRAPS’ animal control will respond to emergencies only on Memorial Day.

With summer weather in the forecast, the three-day weekend may be the perfect opportunity to visit some of Spokane County’s wonderful properties:

Play all three Spokane County Golf Courses
Latah Creek Golf Course – (509) 448-1212
Liberty Lake Golf Course – (509) 255-6233
MeadowWood Golf Course – (509) 255-9539
Liberty Lake Regional Park Campground – (3707 S. Zephyr Road, Liberty Lake)

To check Tent/RV sites and Lake View Cabin availability for the weekend and throughout the summer, go to: www.spokanecounty.org/parks and click the “Reservations” icon.

Please note: Advance reservations can be made online no later than 2 days prior to the arrival date. Within 2 days, please contact the Campground Host at (509) 477-7274 for more information.

05/19/2026

Today, the Spokane County Commissioners proudly proclaimed May 17–23, 2026 as National Public Works Week!

This week recognizes the dedicated Public Works professionals who focus on infrastructure, facilities, and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities, and the citizens of Spokane County.

In 2025 alone, Spokane County Public Works:
• Managed over 5,100 miles of paved and gravel roads
• Swept 3,400 lane miles, graded 4,400 lane miles, cleaned 50 lane miles of ditches, and maintained 154 lane miles of shoulders
• Managed over 158 bridges
• Conducted 93 bridge inspections and 10 railroad bridge safety inspections
• Operated a state‑of‑the‑art Water Reclamation Facility serving 49,000 customer accounts and maintaining 665 miles of wastewater pipe
• Cleaned 857 and inspected 5,200 stormwater facilities
• Managed solid waste services for 122,000 tons of garbage and 37,000 tons of organics
• 857 stormwater facilities were cleaned and 5,200 stormwater facilities were inspected.
• Provided thousands of students with environmental and water‑resource education

Spokane County Public Works also, consists of an award-winning, state-of-the-art Water Reclamation Facility that:
• Serves 49,000 customer accounts
• Includes 665 miles of gravity wastewater collection pipes.

Spokane County Public Works Department also manages the Regional Solid Waste System and operates two transfer stations that provide solid waste disposal for 122,000 tons of garbage, processes 37.000 tons of organics.

Thank you to all Public Works staff, Spokane County Water & Waste, whose expertise and dedication support our infrastructure, environment, and quality of life.

05/14/2026

Tomorrow, May 15, Spokane County parks and their amenities will be open! What are some of your favorite Spokane County parks?

That’s right! Park Season is here!
Park Season 2026 runs from May 15–September 27. Restrooms will be open and grounds crews will be out preparing parks for the summer. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the great outdoors!

05/13/2026

SCRAPS is hiring a veterinarian! Think you could be the purrrrfect match?

🚨🐾 Calling All Animal Heroes — Make a Pawsitive Impact as SCRAPS’ Next Veterinarian! 🐾🚨
Are you ready to use your expertise to make a real difference across all of Spokane County?
SCRAPS is searching for a passionate, energetic Animal Services Veterinarian to help protect, heal, and care for the animals who rely on us every single day!
💰 Salary: $112,288.40 – $157,159.93
🌎 Serving ALL of Spokane County
🐶🐱 Help thousands of animals each year and be part of a mission that truly matters!
If you're driven, compassionate, and excited to bring your talent to a team that loves what we do, we can’t wait to meet you!
✨ Apply today and become a hero for animals in need!
👉 https://spokanecounty.wd503.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Spokane/details/Animal-Services-Veterinarian_JR100466

05/12/2026

Spokane County today released the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed on May 1, 2026:

“Every person accused of a crime in Spokane County deserves a public defender who has adequate time to represent them. That is a principle Spokane County holds without reservation.

The challenges facing our public defense system did not arise overnight. Washington State funds approximately 4% percent of public defense statewide, leaving counties – including Spokane County – to shoulder the remaining 96%. This imbalance is unsustainable and is a root cause of the statewide indigent defense crisis.

Adding to this pressure, misaligned guidelines from the Washington State Bar Association that contradict the Washington Supreme Court Rules have created an untenable implementation environment that counties must navigate without adequate resources. It is time for the Legislature to resolve these conflicts and provide meaningful funding.

In December 2025, the Board of County Commissioners exercised its lawful authority under RCW 10.101.030 to update its caseload framework consistent with Washington Supreme Court requirements. The Code amendment was a net-positive for our public defense system: reducing caseloads and increasing the “weights” given to each matter. Essentially, each public defender now has a lower amount of cases than ever before.

Spokane County invests more than $13 million annually in public defense services and continues to honor its constitutional and statutory obligations. A statewide group of stakeholders is actively working to develop a sustainable, legally compliant, path forward.

Spokane County will defend its position and demonstrate that the standards adopted by the Board comply fully with applicable law, Washington State Supreme Court directives, and the governance framework established by the Legislature.

Our commitment remains to the people of Spokane County, including the thousands of individuals who depend on an orderly, lawful public defense system that protects due process, public safety, and fiscal responsibility.”