Six Seeking Slot Vacated By Crosby Council Opening Attracts 5 Men, 1 Woman

Joel Crosby may not want his Spokane City Council seat next year, but six other people certainly do.

A mechanic, a land-use planner, a retired steelworker, a church administrator, a semiretired radio broadcaster and a co-owner of a Ford dealership are vying for the $18,000-a-year council 1 spot.

The five men and one woman running for the four-year term will face off in the Sept. 19 primary. The two top vote-getters graduate to the Nov. 7 general election.

The race is non-partisan.

Larry Bacon is a mechanic who said he decided to run because the council needs a “working man’s” perspective.

“Council members weren’t working for the people. They’re working the people,” Bacon said.

He said he applied for several boards and commissions and was turned down. “I felt they needed somebody, a blue-collar worker with a different opinion,” he said.

Bacon said he thinks the council needs to “keep money local,” and not hire out-of-town consultants. He’s against privatization because it could cost city workers their jobs.

Roberta Greene, co-owner of Empire Ford and an active community volunteer, says the public’s growing distrust of government caused her to run.

“There’s a general feeling of disdain,” she said. “I’m going in with a fresh eye.”

Greene said her business sense will prove essential at budget time and her listening ability will help ease the council’s public relations problems.

Decisions need to be made through active listening and compromise, she said. “I’m not going in as a vocal dissident. I want to be out there actively seeking solutions.”

David Holter is an administrator for Spokane Student Center, a non-profit youth outreach program connected with the First Assembly of God church.

“It’s time for a young person from Generation X to take responsibility and leadership for the problems facing our community,” Holter said.

Holter said he supports zero-based budgeting and considers himself a fiscal conservative. He thinks increased community involvement is the key to fighting crime.

“We need council people who will get in there and do their homework,” he said. “You have to build consensus.”

Jim Kolva, a land-use and environmental planner, said his eight years on the city’s Plan Commission taught him compromise.

“You’ve got to find a way to make things work and get everybody involved early on,” Kolva said.

He said the council needs to talk to city employees about where budget cuts can be made and invest heavily in goal-setting and planning.

“If you say kids are important, you need to draft land-use policies that support that, you need to include parks within walking distance,” he said.

Ron McArthur, a semiretired radio broadcaster, got his first distaste for city government amid public furor over the controversial Mission Springs project.

“I got a good personal taste of how things are rammed down the public’s throat,” he said.

McArthur said he thinks the council relies too heavily on consultants, thereby avoiding responsibility for its actions. Council members barely listen to residents’ concerns, he said.

“You have to evaluate input and then make decisions on what seems to be prudent and representative of the people,” McArthur said.

Bob Schroeder, a retired steelworker, lists as his chief concerns the council’s persistent bickering and the city’s overspending, especially on consultants.

He said he thinks city staff, particularly the legal department, has enough expertise to do anything the city might need.

Schroeder said he advocates a “deep study to find a way to get our community out of the present mess financially.”

, DataTimes MEMO: See candidate profiles by name