Cheney Free Press -

MEDICAL LAKE — The City Council gave its final approval to the city’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan that will help guide its direction for the next decade at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8. It also passed on first reading a 4 percent property tax and 1 percent EMS levy increase after a public hearing.

Neither issue was without long and sometimes contentious discussions among council members.

It was a steep learning curve as the council was educated on nuances of taxing limits of a 1 percent levy cap and the ability to tap into more revenue via a state tax law called “banked levy ca...