West recall election is closer to reality

The proposal to force a vote on the ouster of Mayor Jim West moved closer to reality Tuesday with nearly three-fourths of the needed signatures verified by county elections workers, and supporters of the recall organizing for a Dec. 6 campaign.

Elections workers verified signatures from 9,251 registered city voters on recall petitions, or 73.6 percent of the 12,567 needed to place the issue on the ballot.

Elections Manager Paul Brandt said the county will probably have verified the required signatures by sometime Thursday. County Auditor Vicky Dalton would then certify the recall petition Friday morning, with formal notice going to recall author Shannon Sullivan and West or his representatives that same day.

That starts the clock ticking for two other events under state law.

West has seven days to submit a response to the recall ballot language, which can be up to 250 words long.

The election must be held between 45 and 60 days from the day of certification. Dalton said she expects to schedule it on Dec. 6, the last day allowed by law, because any earlier would create conflicts with preparations and certification of the Nov. 8 general election.

The law allows Dalton to decide how the election will be held, and she has said it will be an all-mail vote.

Recall supporters tried to prepare for that election with a meeting of a small group of activists energized by the signature gathering campaign.

Neil Beaver, former campaign coordinator for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign in Spokane, said the recall effort needed to come up with a simple message, and get it out. Bringing in questions about other city controversies, such as the River Park Square settlement or the condition of the streets “is just going to clutter it up.”

Former City Councilman Steve Corker, who is running for an open council seat in northwest Spokane, agreed. Recall supporters ought to emphasize that voters should base their decision on allegations that West misused his office, he said.

“I don’t know of a person in this town that doesn’t know the issues,” Corker said.

West has been under fire since May 5, when The Spokesman-Review first reported allegations of sexual molestation and abuse of public office. Details of the newspaper’s investigation can be found on its Web site, www.spokesmanreview.com.

West has admitted “poor judgment” but has denied breaking any laws. Some previous supporters, including the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and the county Republican Party, have called for him to resign but have remained quiet on the recall.

Neither side has raised significant money toward a campaign. Rita Amunrud, spokeswoman for the yet to be named recall campaign committee, said the group has no money but some offers of in-kind contributions, such as labor.

Its predecessor, the Recall Signature Team, raised and spent about $3,500 in cash, and had about $21,600 in donated legal work.

The most recent reports filed by West’s group, Committee for Spokane’s Progress, listed $1,150 in campaign contributions, and more than $85,000 in expenses, most of it legal fees for efforts to block the recall petition.