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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mielke to be sworn in today

Mielke
 (The Spokesman-Review)

Todd Mielke has hardly had time to catch his breath.

The general election was only two weeks ago and results were just certified Wednesday, but Mielke had better be ready to start his new job as Spokane County commissioner.

He’s scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon.

One of his first tasks will be deliberating and voting on the county’s 2005 budget.

Hope he’s been boning up on it. The budget documents easily weigh in at a hefty 6 pounds.

Newly elected commissioners don’t normally take office until January, but former Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley resigned three months before the end of his term to take a gubernatorial appointment to the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.

That has left a vacancy on the board of commissioners since Oct. 1. With just two commissioners serving, there’s also been the possibility of tied votes.

So far that hasn’t been much of an issue. But Commissioner Phil Harris said Wednesday he’s eager to see Mielke sworn in today.

“I’m covering other meetings and stuff, and so is Kate,” said Harris of fellow Commissioner Kate McCaslin. “When he gets here we’ll have him take on some of that work.”

Roskelley was a Spokane County representative on the Spokane Regional Transportation Commission and the Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors.

“I’ve been at the county every day for over a week now,” Mielke said of his upcoming swearing-in ceremony. “It almost seems like a technicality.”

Mielke has been sitting in on the commissioners’ briefing sessions. And he even took a turn on the commissioners’ dais Tuesday, when he sat in on the meeting, but didn’t participate in the discussion or voting.

Fellow Commissioner-elect Mark Richard was also present at that meeting, but sitting in the gallery.

Richard won’t take office until next year, when the current District 2 commissioner, McCaslin, retires.

Mielke will be sworn in at 4 p.m. today in the third-floor jury room in the Spokane County Courthouse Annex.