Kate McCaslin bows out as commissioner

Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin has been described as passionate and no-nonsense by her supporters, stubborn and aggressive by her detractors.

One thing all agree on: With McCaslin, you know where you stand.

“She has been very strong-willed. Many times it’s helped me, because I prefer to be the good guy,” Commissioner Phil Harris said. “But many times she’s said exactly what I was thinking. She was just quicker to it.”

McCaslin, 46, wrapped up her career in the commissioners’ office Friday.

The bottom line was always foremost on McCaslin’s mind and lips. She always asked how any given policy, contract, capital project or employee reclassification would affect the county’s budget and taxpayers.

“You’re not spending your money. You’re spending other people’s money,” she said. “The thing I’m the most proud of is the financial condition of the county.”

When McCaslin took office in 1997, the county had a $2 million reserve – a little more than 2 percent of its $88 million general fund budget. She leaves it with a $14 million reserve, 11 percent of the county’s $123 million 2005 general fund budget.

Together, McCaslin, Harris and former Commissioner John Roskelley worked hard to keep county costs in line.

“The one legacy I think you leave is that we should never be afraid to ask questions,” newly elected Commissioner Todd Mielke told McCaslin during her last commission meeting.

Heaven help the employee who couldn’t answer one.

Employees knew they had better be prepared when they went into meetings with McCaslin, said Spokane County Engineer Ross Kelley.

“She made all the people working in the budget process make sure we knew what we were doing,” said Kelley, who added that those who didn’t were sure to regret it.

Though she says she makes it a point to live without looking back, McCaslin says if she had to do it all over again, she would have been a little gentler.

“I know from time to time I’ve been hard on you, but it was only because I knew you could do so much better for the people you serve,” McCaslin told county staff at her last commissioners’ meeting.

They responded with a standing ovation, although McCaslin said she’s sure that some will be happy to see her go.

Birthday baker

For all her toughness, McCaslin also had a soft side as a commissioner.

She often brought in home-baked goodies and took requests for employee birthdays within the commissioners’ office. Popular favorites included cinnamon rolls, frosted brownies and cheesecakes.

An animal lover, McCaslin fell in love with a dog while visiting the Spokane County animal shelter.

“There was this dog that people called Buddy that had been living wild in the neighborhood with these horses. She had heard about the legend of Buddy and came and walked him and then ended up adopting him,” said Nancy Hill, director of Spokane County Regional Animal Care and Protection Services. Hill added that McCaslin was very supportive of animal adoption programs.

McCaslin alternately enraged and delighted business owners. Contractors accused her of not paving the way for the construction industry, while she often accused county departments and local agencies of making businesses fight too much red tape.

“Most of the things we heard were anecdotal from people who had trouble getting things done, and viewed her at times as being an obstructionist,” said David Bauer, executive director of the Spokane County Home Builders Association.

McCaslin won her first election with strong support from developers. After her first term, she was challenged by a candidate backed by the building industry, in part because many contractors and property owners objected to her position on drawing the line for the county’s urban growth area. They said it was too tight and improperly infringed on property rights.

On the flip side, McCaslin recently fought with Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Kim Thorburn over how the district was enforcing rules for espresso stand owners.

Thorburn insisted that water and sewer requirements were necessary for cleanliness, while McCaslin said that health standards could be maintained without making the cost prohibitive for small businesses.

The two exchanged a series of nasty e-mails in early November regarding the issue.

“Whether you like me or not is beside the point. I remain a board member until December 31, 2004 and until midnight that day I fully expect to be treated like one,” McCaslin wrote after Thorburn accused McCaslin in an earlier e-mail of “repeatedly so rudely” interrupting her at a health board meeting.

Thorburn’s response said in part, “I have had it with your abuse of power.”

The exchange culminated in December in a health board vote of no confidence in Thorburn.

Asked about McCaslin this week, Thorburn said she didn’t want to comment, explaining she’d already made her views known.

Time for change

Though she’s divorced and has no children, family still plays a large part in McCaslin’s life. Until just recently, McCaslin’s mother lived with her.

And although she described herself as a private person by nature, McCaslin said she toughened her exterior against public criticism.

It was harder for her family to hear mean comments or see highly critical letters to the editor about McCaslin.

“My dad would want to beat people up,” she said with a laugh.

But at McCaslin’s last round of commissioner and board meetings, she received kudos from other elected officials, staffers and even the public.

Two bus riders gave McCaslin a dozen roses at the December Spokane Transit Authority Board meeting. She was also complimented at the December Spokane Regional Transportation Council meeting.

“I think your government service has been one in which the community has really benefited during a stressful time,” said Dale Stedman, of the Spokane Area Good Roads Association.

As for what the future holds, McCaslin said she’s unsure. She’s certainly not ready to retire, but is looking forward to taking a break to do some skiing this winter. She’d also like to travel to Italy.

Then she’s planning on making the move to working in private business, though McCaslin said she’ll miss the people she’s worked with day-in, day-out for the past eight years.

“I want to walk away and say, ‘You did the best you could. Go on with your life.’ “