Spokane County

Spokane County sits in East Washington, and Spokane City is its county seat. The first people to arrive in Spokane County were the hunter-gather communities, who survived off the plentiful wildlife in the area. These include wildlife such as bison and antelope. 

The county also gets its name from the Spokane community, which means “Sun people or children of the sun.” The county seat was Cheney, but the state later changed it to Spokane city in 1886. 

Spokane Cities 

Below is a description of the cities in Spokane County, WA: 

Spokane City – County Seat

Spokane is the largest city and the county seat of Spokane County in Washington. It sits along the Spokane River and is also close to the Selkirk Mountain Range. The city runs under the mayor-council form of government and uses the non-partisan approach to elections.  

Spokane is a major cultural and economic center in Washington, thanks to various reasons. A good example would be that it’s where Father’s day started and goes by the nickname “Lilac City.” The Lilac City nickname comes from the fact that the city has several open spaces with flowers growing. 

City of Spokane Valley

Spokane Valley is a vast urban city between Coeur d’Alene and is easily accessible through the I-90 highway. The city also officially became Spokane Vale in late March 2003. Furthermore, the city gets its name for being the valley that runs alongside the Spokane River. 

Thanks to its unique positioning, most residents refer to the city as the “The Valley.” The city is also famous for hosting various community events, such as the Inland Northwest Craft Beer Festival.  

Liberty Lake

Liberty lake is also one of the major cities in Spokane County, and it sits next to the eponymous Lake. The Lake also gets its name from Etienne Edward Laliberte, who settled around the Lake. The town previously went by the name Artudeee, but Laliberte would, later on, change it to Liberty Lake.  

According to recent geographical reports from U.S Census Bureau, Spokane city overs up to 6 square miles. Liberty Lake is also one of the fastest-growing cities in Washington state. Liberty lake also sits a few miles south of the Spokane River. 

Cheney

Cheney is another city in Washington, and it was a thriving county seat and a railroad town. Its also home to Eastern Washington University and has a unique set of economic characteristics. The city functions under the mayor-council form of government. The elections for the mayor seat occur after four years, and the council consists of seven members.  

Spokane Sheriffs Department 

The Spokane Sheriff Department is a law enforcement agency for Spokane, Washington. Ozzie D. Knezovich is the Sheriff, and he has been serving since early 2006. 2021 marks the 29th year that the Sheriff has been working as a law enforcement officer.  

The Sheriff’s department works based on specific professional values to ensure the best results for Spokane County and its environs. The Sheriff’s department is also responsible for the safety of the following regions in Spokane County: 

1. Deer Park 
2. Medical Lake 
3. Millwood 
4. Spangle 
5. Spokane Valley 

Below are some of the divisions of the sheriff departments in Spokane County: 

1. Investigations Division

The division features a Captain whose goal is to provide administrative functions and control in the investigations department. The division contains an Investigative Task Force, Crime Analysis, Forensic, and various other units.  

2. Detention Services

The detention services also feature a captain, which also serves as the head of the unit. The detention services feature various components, as with all other Spokane County departments. These include the Administration, Correction, and Classification Units. 

3. Patrol Division

The patrol division is another major department in Spokane county. The patrols division has the goal of ensuring the safety of public roads and the community at large. The patrol units have to complete a certain amount of oversight activities in the county as part of this process. 

4. Administrative Division

The Administration Division, which is in the hands of the Undersheriff, is to function on the Administrative function of the Sheriff’s office. The division also contains various departments, including the Administrative and Technical Services. 

Public Records

The city of Spokane has an open platform through which people can access general and police records. The state prefers applications for access that come through the online platform. Or, one can also send an e-mail through [email protected]. 

The City Clerk is the public records manager in Spokane and functions under the SMC 3.01A.235 act. The Clerk has the mandate of ensuring the records are concise and up to date to various inconsistency issues.  

All records are also available for public access unless the law prohibits them. However, some costs might come up during the costing of these records. 

Spokane County Departments  

Below is a list of some of the county departments in Spokane County: 

Budget & Finance

The budget and finance department handles all the financial functions of Spokane county. It includes the approval of county tenders, staff payments, expenses, and various other financial procedures. The budget and finance department also has to work in close coordination with the assessor and auditor departments. 

Building & Planning

The building and planning department focuses on using county land space or the construction of buildings. The process also includes the approval of building and construction permits for any property. The department also has the role of performing building evaluation procedures and setting standards. 

Environmental Services

The environmental services department in Spokane County handles all matters relating to the environment. It includes issues relating to sustainability, pollution, and standards that every organization or individual should respect. The mandate of this department also includes creating initiatives to improve the Spokane County environment. 

Facilities Maintenance

The facilities department works to ensure all resources and facilities in the county function as required. These include facilities such as county offices, vehicles, medical and correction facilities. The mandate of this committee is to identify aspects that require maintenance and to implement the right solutions. 

Spokane County Offices by Type