Questions & Answers

Here are some questions and answers about the proposed city-county consolidation:

Question: Would the new government need fewer workers than now are employed by the city and county? If so, who would be terminated?

Answer: There’s little research on the matter.

In Lexington, Ky., the public works department went from 600 workers the year after merger to 400 workers 10 years later. The director said the reduction couldn’t have happened without consolidation.

In Georgia, employment grew after the city of Athens consolidated with Clarke County. Officials there blame the increase on population growth and state and federal mandates that local government provide more services. They contend government would have grown even more if not for the merger.

Spokane’s proposed city-county charter promises that rank-and-file employees will not lose jobs the first two years after consolidation.

That promise isn’t extended to department heads. The elected executive would decide which of those high-level employees would keep their jobs.

Proponents say the government would cut employees over time, by not replacing workers who leave.

However, the new government likely would need more police officers to increase patrols in the Valley and other suburban areas.

Q: Would the government use the county’s salary scale or the city’s?

A: Since the charter promises wages won’t be cut, the government would have to use whichever pay scale is higher for any given department. In most cases, that means county workers would get raises to match the city scale.

In Athens, most county workers got raises, and payroll rose $2.3 million.

Q: I like smaller government. Would consolidation make government smaller and more efficient?

A: Opponents contend a single government would have more bureaucrats and be less responsive than several smaller governments serving the same area. For that reason, the same group that favors forming a new city in the Spokane Valley opposes consolidation.

Proponents say consolidation would eliminate a layer of bureaucracy.

Academics who have studied consolidated governments elsewhere are split on the matter.

If “smaller” means closer to home, then it depends on where you live.

The new government would be run by a council with 13 members elected by district. Seven of those council members would represent areas either entirely or partially outside the current city limits, so people outside the city limits would have far more political representation than they get from the three county commissioners.

People from the city would have six of the 13 districts, giving them less political clout than they have with the seven-member Spokane City Council.

Q: Would consolidation affect school districts?

A: No. The districts are independent from city and county government.

Q: Have campaign groups formed to promote and oppose the charter?

A: We The People, the same group that promoted the 1992 election of freeholders, is leading the pro-charter campaign. It has raised about $112,000, according to the Spokane County Elections office. Call 458-0407.

Bill First, a Democratic Party activist, said a group is forming to oppose consolidation. Called We The Taxpayers, it hasn’t yet filed with the Spokane County elections office. For more information, call First at 456-8752.

, DataTimes