Thursday, November 10, 2005

Status Quo in Spokane area

Following the national off-year status quo trend, in both Spokane and Spokane Valley, all incumbents were re-elected.

Spokane Valley welcomes Bill Gothmann as its new City Councilman.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Preliminary Results

Spokane County reports with zero precincts, zero voters, and 95,017 ballots:

City of Spokane Valley City Council

Pos 1
DIANA L WILHITE; 11,688 100 %

Pos 2
STEVE TAYLOR; 7,948 58 %
JENNIE WILLARDSON; 5,641 42 %

Pos 3
MIKE DEVLEMING; 8,350 58 %
HOWARD HERMAN; 6,008 42 %

Pos 4
GARY SCHIMMELS; 11,663 100 %

Pos 5
RICHARD MUNSON; 11,514 100 %

Pos 6
BILL GOTHMANN; 7,321 54 %
EDWARD J MERTENS; 6,291 46 %

Pos 7
DICK DENENNY; 11,576 100 %

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Spokesman Endorsements

The Spokesman Review has endorsed candidates in Spokane Valley. They're viewing the election as a competition between nostalgia and progress.

Council Position 2 - Steve Taylor

Candidates who run for office should understand that voters place them in positions of leadership to make tough decisions. That truism provides a bright line between the City Council candidates for Position 2.

Artist Jennie Willardson demonstrates a good understanding of the issues, but she wants to seek advisory votes on several of them, including taxes, light rail development and possible Sprague-Appleway couplet changes.

...Public input is good, but governments can carry it too far. At some point, the information gathering must end and decisions have to be made.

Though only 29 years old, incumbent Steve Taylor has a lot of political experience. He served on former Congressman George Nethercutt's staff and is on a number of regional government boards. He has helped guide the city from its infancy and is well-informed on the challenges that lie ahead.

The chief challenge will be the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, following the principles of the Growth Management Act. Taylor isn't a big fan of the GMA; he'd like more local control. But he understands that the Valley has to continue the transition from a rural to urban setting. Willardson's motto is "preserving our Valley way of life." She'd like to see more areas with rural zoning. That's unrealistic...

The Valley needs decision-makers. Steve Taylor is the clear choice.

Council Position 3 - Mike DeVleming

Attorney Howard Herman, a longtime Valley resident, played an active role in winning Valley incorporation three years ago. He's challenging Councilman Mike DeVleming, 45, customer-service director at Vera Power and Water, who ran for the first City Council, won, and was chosen mayor by his colleagues...

DeVleming emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive plan, which the city is close to concluding, and a master street plan which he pushed in the early days after incorporation... He understands that city status means an increasingly urban community, including somewhat higher housing density. He thinks the Valley traffic couplet along Sprague and Appleway needs to be retained.

Herman, notwithstanding his support for incorporation, thinks conditions ought to be more the way they used to be. The comprehensive plan should reflect the low-density residential lots typical of the former Valley. Businesses and developers should control planning decisions. Sprague should go back to being a two-way street...

The problem with nostalgia is that there's no future in it. DeVleming merits another term.

Council Position 6 - Bill Gothmann

The Position 6 seat pits two veterans from the incorporation effort. After years of trying to form a city, Ed Mertens broke through with a successful campaign in 2003, leading the signature-gathering effort. Bill Gothmann, 67, has served on the Planning Commission from the outset. Both candidates are proud of the city's accomplishments to date and are optimistic about the future. They don't have wide differences of opinions on the issues...

Mertens is better known to Valley residents, because of his incorporation work and long community visibility, but Gothmann has been more directly involved in getting the city off the ground. His work on the Comprehensive Plan would make him a valuable resource on the council as the city directs long-range growth.

Of the two, Gothmann demonstrates superior knowledge on the city's future challenges, whether it's wastewater issues, extending the Appleway Couplet, budgeting or growth management. He is sensitive to the impact of growth on existing neighborhoods. He authored a chapter for the Comprehensive Plan that would establish neighborhood associations. He would add needed balance to the council on that issue.

Gothmann also appears to be more accepting of the fact that greater housing density will be inevitable under the state's Growth Management Act.

Ed Mertens will always have a special place in the hearts of those who long wanted a city of Spokane Valley, but Bill Gothmann is better prepared to take it from here.

The full articles are available here (subscription may be required).

This site is encouraging non-votes for unopposed candidates - don't just hand them a freebie 4-year term.

Friday, September 23, 2005

New Campaign Websites

New campaign websites have been added for Jennie Willardson, Ed Mertens, and Bill Gothmann. The primary losers have been eliminated.

Only Howard Herman and unopposed candidates remain with unknown or non-existant websites.

Mertens, Gothmann Maintain Leads

Mertens and Gothmann maintain their leads (votespokane.org):
City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 6
RONALD LIPPINCOTT; NP 645 7 %
EDWARD J MERTENS; NP 2,276 23 %
DALE STROM; NP 1,796 18 %
CHARLES G PARKER; NP 1,012 10 %
BILL GOTHMANN; NP 2,370 24 %
JOHN G KALLAS; NP 1,725 18 %


About the winners (from Spokane Valley Online):
Who? Bill Gothmann, 67, is a retired Eastern Washington University instructor and current member of the Spokane Valley Planning Commission.
One of his issues: Future growth. A longtime supporter of incorporation, Gothmann believes the development of the city's first comprehensive land-use plan will be key to mapping how Spokane Valley grows in coming years.
Notable quote: "The county's mistreatment (of the Ponderosa area) made the issue of lack of representation very clear to me."

Who? Ed Mertens, 75 is a retired Valley businessman who was a key figure in Spokane Valley's incorporation effort. He has unsuccessfully ran for the state Legislature (in the 1970s) and the City Council (2002).
One of his issues: Mertens is militant against raising taxes, saying the city has all it needs to continue in the black.
Notable quote: "I always said the city wouldn't have to raise taxes, and it turned out to be true."

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Mertens, Gothmann Lead in Primary

Election results as of Tuesday night:
City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 6
RONALD LIPPINCOTT; NP 590 7 %
EDWARD J MERTENS; NP 2,089 23 %
DALE STROM; NP 1,631 18 %
CHARLES G PARKER; NP 925 10 %
BILL GOTHMANN; NP 2,134 24 %
JOHN G KALLAS; NP 1,574 18 %

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Primary Update

Bill Gothmann does finally have a candidate statement up at the Primary Voters Guide. He stresses his membership on the Planning Commission as well as concerns with careful budgeting and development.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Primary Voters Guide

The Primary Voters Guide can be found here. For Spokane Valley, this is where you find the candidates for City Council Position 6.

No statement yet from Bill Gothmann and I won't read the one from John Kallas because it is in ALL-CAPS.

Ronald Lippincott talks about his community involvement and education.

Ed Mertens reminds us of his long-time role in creating the City of Spokane Valley.

Charles Parker is concerned with public safety, requiring voter approval of more actions, and putting incorporation up for another vote.

Dale Strom's statement lacks significant content about himself.

Voters Guide!

Spokane County's Voters Guide is now available for the November election - those positions with two or fewer candidates. Check it out here.

Among the highlights for Spokane Valley City Council, Jennie Willardson running for Position 2 seems to want Spokane Valley to turn rural:
I am running because our city is at a crossroads. We can let the city become a giant Pines and E. Sprague, or we can keep the Green in Green Acres. Do you want traffic and neon signs, or safe, livable neighborhoods?
No details on how she plans to eliminate traffic and signs. It's hard to be a suburb if you can't get anywhere.

Howard Herman, running for Position 3, should get an award for giving absolutely no reason to support the challenger:
I have a plaque from the City of Spokane Valley naming me as a member of the Honorary First Council. I now seek to advance that Honorary designation by being elected to the office. We, who have lived and worked in the Valley for many years, loved the Valley the way it was before incorporation. When elected, I will work to preserve those attributes of the Valley that have made it such a unique place to live and work, and I will use my office as an advocate for all of the people.
How did he write so much and say so little?

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Campaign Websites

We search periodically for campaign websites to link to on the right. Please let us know if you know of one that we do not know of yet and it will get a link.

Thanks!

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Primary Update

Under the current primary system, only Position 6 drew enough candidates to have a primary. They will appear on the ballot like this:
City of Spokane Valley
City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 6

RONALD LIPPINCOTT; (NP)
EDWARD J MERTENS; (NP)
DALE STROM; (NP)
CHARLES G PARKER; (NP)
BILL GOTHMANN; (NP)
JOHN G KALLAS; (NP)

Friday, July 29, 2005

Three Contested Races

Today was the last day to file and we gained one candidate for Position 3 and four for Position 6. Here's the final list:

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 1
Two Year or Four Year Term

DIANA L WILHITE (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 11:18:14



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 2
Two Year or Four Year Term

STEVE TAYLOR (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:58:02

JENNIE WILLARDSON (NP) Spokane Valley 07/26/2005 - 15:30:17



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 3
Two Year or Four Year Term

MIKE DEVLEMING (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 14:08:58

HOWARD HERMAN (NP) Spokane Valley 07/29/2005 - 12:40:06



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 4
Two Year or Four Year Term

GARY SCHIMMELS (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:35:42



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 5
Two Year or Four Year Term

RICHARD MUNSON (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:52:33



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 6
Two Year or Four Year Term

BILL GOTHMANN (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:32:46

CHARLES G PARKER (NP) Spokane Valley 07/28/2005 - 11:12:27

JOHN G KALLAS (NP) Spokane Valley 07/29/2005 - 13:20:45

RONALD LIPPINCOTT (NP) Spokane Valley 07/29/2005 - 15:00:51

DALE STROM (NP) Spokane Valley 07/29/2005 - 16:27:41

EDWARD J MERTENS (NP) Spokane Valley 07/29/2005 - 16:32:29



City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 7
Two Year or Four Year Term

DICK DENENNY (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 15:20:48

So only one meaningful primary and that's for the open seat.

Out of three positions, the City of Spokane will have two meaningful primaries and all three positions are contested. In the one county-wide race, Ralph Baker runs unopposed for County Assessor.

Let the mahem begin!

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Candidate Update

Since the last update, Charles G. Parker filed for Spokane Valley City Council, Position 6.

This brings the total number of competitive elections to 2.

Meanwhile, all three of the City of Spokane's City Council races are contested - one with 7 candidates:

Spokane City Council Dist No. 1 - Council: Pos 2
Four Year Term

AL FRENCH (NP) Spokane 07/25/2005 - 08:39:33

VALENTINA (TINA) HOWARD (NP) Spokane 07/26/2005 - 13:58:35

Spokane City Council Dist No. 2 - Council: Pos 2
Short and Four Year Term

MARY VERNER (NP) Spokane 07/25/2005 - 08:55:16

JEFFREY D BIERMAN (NP) Spokane 07/27/2005 - 11:40:48

Spokane City Council Dist No. 3 - Council: Pos 2
Four Year Term

STEVE CORKER (NP) Spokane 07/25/2005 - 10:11:56

JUDITH GILMORE (NP) Spokane 07/25/2005 - 10:37:28

NANCY MCLAUGHLIN (NP) Spokane 07/25/2005 - 10:39:32

JOYCE MCNAMEE (NP) Spokane 07/26/2005 - 11:18:51

KEITH SPRINGER (NP) Spokane 07/26/2005 - 12:28:18

BARBARA LAMPERT (NP) Spokane 07/27/2005 - 10:56:00

DANIEL DAY (NP) Spokane 07/27/2005 - 11:45:26

Cuban Elections in the Spokane Valley?

Here's the filings so far for Spokane Valley City Council:

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 1
Two Year or Four Year Term

DIANA L WILHITE (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 11:18:14

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 2
Two Year or Four Year Term

STEVE TAYLOR (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:58:02

JENNIE WILLARDSON (NP) Spokane Valley 07/26/2005 - 15:30:17

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 3
Two Year or Four Year Term

MIKE DEVLEMING (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 14:08:58

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 4
Two Year or Four Year Term

GARY SCHIMMELS (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:35:42

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 5
Two Year or Four Year Term

RICHARD MUNSON (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:52:33

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 6
Two Year or Four Year Term

BILL GOTHMANN (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 08:32:46

City of Spokane Valley - Council; Pos 7
Two Year or Four Year Term

DICK DENENNY (NP) Spokane Valley 07/25/2005 - 15:20:48

Only two new faces and one competitive election? Come on Spokane Valley, you can do better than this! Sure the 7-way races were a bit ridiculous, but this is worse!