Consider The Sources Of Funding Behind Opposition, Woodard Says

Evergreen incorporation campaign manager Arne Woodard stood in front of about two dozen people Tuesday night and asked them to think about where the opposition money comes from before they cast their ballots on incorporation next month.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to defeat past incorporation attempts, Woodard claims. Among the contributors to those anti-incorporation campaigns were people and businesses outside the Valley, he said.

“If we didn’t have something somebody wanted, why would they spend that kind of money to defeat us?” Woodard asked.

Citizens Against Incorporation, a group opposing the incorporation of Evergreen and a separate attempt to form the city of Opportunity, was organized last week.

In organizational papers filed with the county, that group listed two financial contributors: Dewey Strauss, owner of Valley Garbage Service, who gave $500; and Citizens Against Valley Incorporation, a separate organization that opposed the 1995 Valleywide incorporation effort, which gave $709.72.

Woodard said money is a central issue in the debate over incorporation.

Proponents of Evergreen project revenues as high as $12 million once the Spokane Valley Mall opens next summer.

“That makes us one of the top 20 projected cities in the state,” Woodard told the people who turned out to listen to a presentation about the proposed city and ask questions.

Woodard said the benefits of incorporating Evergreen would include a better voice in local government and lower taxes.

One man wanted to know how lowering taxes was possible. Woodard’s projections of a budget surplus sounded good, he said. However, the man worried new city officials would be more likely to start from the status quo and go up, not down.

“The best way I can answer your question is … we’ve got to elect people that think like you and I,” Woodard said.

JoNell Edlin hasn’t decided which way she will vote on incorporation of Evergreen. However, she cautioned against placing too much faith in elected officials - county or city.

“They’re not necessarily going to run the city the way you want them to,” Edlin said. “It doesn’t matter who you vote for, you get things rammed down your throat. They’re not held accountable until the next election.”

Still, most who spoke up at the meeting said they were willing to take their chances.

“Even if incorporation costs more money, you’d be better off because at least you would have someone you can go to and yell loudly,” said a Greenacres woman. “Now, you might as well be whistling in the wind.”

The key to making a good choice is an informed voter, Woodard said.

“If we don’t have an informed electorate, we’re probably not going to pick the best thing for our families, our community and our businesses,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETINGS CONTINUE Three more public meetings have been scheduled by proponents of the proposed city of Evergreen. Here are the dates, times and places: Friday, 1:30 p.m., Church of the Good Shepherd, 810 S. Sullivan. Tuesday, 7 p.m., Progress Elementary, 710 N. Progress. Thursday, 7 p.m., Evergreen Junior High, 14221 E. 16th.