* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
Proposition 1 would amend the City Charter to allow a City Council member to serve as City Council president even after serving two consecutive terms on the council. Currently, the City Charter’s term limit stipulations prevent that from happening. The change would keep intact all other term limit rules. The proposition keeps a requirement that candidates must be residents of the city for at least a year, but creates a definition defines residency to mean a person’s “permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode.”
Proposition 2 clears up language in the City Charter about the salaries of elected officials, but doesn’t change the rules. The mayor still would be entitled to a salary equal to that of the highest paid city employee other than the city administrator. City Council members pay under the proposition would be set by ordinance that wouldn’t take effect until after the current term is over. That’s not a change under the current system. The council decided by ordinance in 2007 that its pay would be set by a Salary Review Commission, a system that would not change.
Proposition 3 would amend the City Charter to stipulate that recall elections of council members elected by district would be held only in the member’s district. Currently, all recall elections, including officials elected in districts, are held citywide.
Supporters say holding a recall election citywide of a member elected by district diminishes the power of each district and means that a member who’s popular with the voters who elected him or her could be tossed out of office by people he doesn’t technically represent.
Opponents say City Council member consider matters that affect all residents and that something as important as a recall of a City Councilman should be considered by all voters.
Proposition 4 would amend the City Charter to allow to the City Council to create committees to recommend policy to the council or otherwise assist them without the mayor having to appoint the members of the committee.
Proposition 5 would amend the City Charter to require that in the event that the City Council president is elevated to perform mayoral duties because the mayor became unable to fill the role or the office of mayor was vacated, the City Council president could not also serve on the City Council at the same time.
Proposition 6 would amend the City Charter to give the mayor the power to hire outside attorneys without approval of City Council. Currently, the City Council is required to approve any decision to hire outside legal help. If the cost of employing an outside attorney were to reach $44,200 for 12 months of work, then the City Council still would have approve the funding for hire under other city rules.
Proposition 7 would amend the City Charter to strip the Spokane Park Board of its power to condemn property. The City Charter currently requires the City Council to condemn land for park acquisition if requested by the Park Board. This proposal would give the City Council the power to turn down the Park Board’s condemnation requests.
Park leaders say the action is a move against the Park Board’s independent authority granted to them by voters more than a century ago. They add that the board has rarely, if ever, used its condemnation powers.
But City Council members say they should not be forced to condemn land by unelected officials.
Proposition 8 would formalize the process for determining how to assign newly annexed land to a City Council district. Annexed land contiguous to only one district would automatically be placed into that district. The Spokane City Council would vote to determine how to assign annexed land that touches multiple districts.
Proposition 9 would amend the City Charter to clarify that the Office of Neighborhood Services reports to the mayor. In practice, that’s where the office has been reporting to anyway.
Proposition 10 would amend the City Charter to allow the city to hold more than one special election within a six-month period. For the city, a special election is any city election, except the primary and general elections held during odd number years – when city officials are elected.
Supporters of the change say it removes ambiguity and would give elected leaders flexibility to deal with serious issues.
Opponents say the current rules prevent the city from approving too many special elections, which cost taxpayer money. It also forces the city to take more time to reflect before asking voters to approve a tax proposal that failed.
Proposition 11 would amend the City charter to formally give the City Council the power to direct the City Plan Commission to review specific proposals and make recommendations on pending legislation.
