Campaign ‘95

Candidate Q & A

Do you support or oppose the proposed City-County Unified Charter proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot? - Asked of candidates for Spokane County Commission District 3.

Republicans

Mike Davis: Opposed. “It will make for bigger, more expensive government.”

Martin Burnette: Opposed. “There’s not enough information, and too many unanswered questions.”

Art Meikel: Opposed. “If there was a great cost savings, I’d support it, but right now, it seems like it would cost more, or the same amount.”

Democrats

George Marlton: Opposed. “I feel it is a megagovernment, too expensive, so complicated people can’t understand it.”

John Roskelley: Undecided. “I’d like to see the budget and other financial details, and am a little concerned about the 13 part-time council positions.”

Independent

Chris Anderson: Opposed. “People want smaller, more localized government, not the mega-government and king-of-the-county concept that’s being proposed.”

Who’s Who

City Councilman Chris Anderson expressed outrage over the Internet that two colleagues missed a briefing session last week to attend a candidates’ forum. “A poor choice, a disservice to the electorate and a shirking of responsibility,” he huffed into cyber space …Anderson accused them of “campaigning for office while the council on which they supposedly serve is in session, trying to conduct your business.” He didn’t name his targets - “you know who they are,” he wrote cryptically…In fairness to you-who’s Orville Barnes and Bev Numbers, what they missed was a briefing of council topics for the following week, not a session in which “business” such as votes were taken…Anderson may be a little sensitive about campaigning on public time. In his last election, he ran afoul of the county for using paid sick days to attend campaign events.

Unlikely help

Backers of the proposal to merge Spokane city and county government may have received help last week from an unlikely source: Steve Hasson. The controversial commissioner said he will run for a third term next year, rather than seeking a state Senate seat…But the charter, if approved Nov. 7, would eliminate the county commission and City Council, replacing them with a 13-member council and elected executive. “Obviously, I’d be out of a job,” said Hasson…Given the heat county government takes from some quarters, the pro-charter group might be able to parlay Hasson’s re-election plans into a rallying cry…Then they could get some support from other sectors of the electorate by extracting a similar pledge from embattled Coroner Dexter Amend. His office would be eliminated in the consolidation, too.

Catch the candidates

Today: County commissioner candidate John Roskelley at an ice cream social, 5 p.m., Franklin Park.

Campaign calendar

Tuesday: Campaign spending reports due for candidates.

Sept. 18: Last day to file as a write-in candidate; last day to get an absentee ballot.

Sept. 19: Primary election. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘95, published Sundays during the election season, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. You can send notices about candidate appearances, or suggest questions for the candidates by writing us c/o The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane 99210. Or call Cityline at 458-8800 on a Touchtone phone, then press 9893 to leave a message. Or send to jimc@spokesman.com for electronic mail.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports