Spokane City Council voting on biennial budget [Video]

SPOKANE, Wash. — Facing a $50 million shortfall, the City of Spokane decided to revise its budgeting calendar.

At Monday night’s Spokane City Council meeting, the council approved an emergency ordinance that will now switch the city to a biennial budget.

Council voted 6-1 in favor of the biennial budget, with the opposing vote coming from Councilmember Jonathan Bingle.

“We need to start thinking long-term, we have to start thinking sustainably, and making sure our program costs and departmental costs are sustainable over a longer horizon than a single year,” Councilmember Michael Cathcart, who voted in favor of the budget, said.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown has advised the city should switch to a biennial, or two-year, budget.

“It’s no surprise by now the city of Spokane is facing a major budget deficit,” Brown said in a video announcing the proposal in May.

The city has historically created a budget every year. Brown said …