SPOKANE, Wash. – Tension is escalating between Spokane County and the city of Spokane over animal control services. The county has officially declined the city council’s request to help select the next director of Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS).
In a letter sent on Friday, Spokane County CEO Scott Simmons addressed a request from the city council. The July 28 request asked for city involvement in the hiring process for the new SCRAPS director. Simmons stated that “SCRAPS employees work for the county,” and emphasized that the city, as a customer, does not have a role in the hiring process.
The letter also highlighted unresolved legal concerns and changes the city made to its municipal animal code.
Simmons wrote, “Some of the modifications to the city’s municipal code appear to conflict with the language of both our current inter-local agreement and Spokane County code.”
Simmons further expressed concerns about the lack of progress, stating there has been “no meaningful progress” made in resolving these issues. This has created uncertainty regarding the city and county’s inter-local agreement, which specifies that SCRAPS employees are “county employees.”
The current agreement is set to expire in December. So far, the county has not received any notice from the city about renewing the agreement. As Spokane County plans its 2026 budget, it is operating under the assumption that the city will leave the SCRAPS partnership, according to Simmons’ letter.
