November 10, 2009 in News

Spokane fire bond falls short

Jonathan Brunt The Spokesman-Review

Spokane’s $33 million fire bond appears to have failed.

Tuesday’s tally of remaining ballots from last week’s general election shows the proposed property tax increase fell just short of the needed 60 percent supermajority, capturing 59.5 percent of the vote.

City Administrator Ted Danek said he believes the city likely will ask voters again for a property tax for fire trucks, stations and equipment, but, he added, the proposal likely won’t be the same when it appears again on a ballot.

“The needs don’t go away,” Danek said. “But the voters have spoken. We’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”

The defeat marks the city’s second unsuccessful attempt this year to pass a public safety bond. In March, only 51 percent of voters approved of a property tax to raise $14 million for a police evidence building and other items. That measure also needed 60 percent support.

It’s the first time city voters rejected a plea for fire taxes since the city began asking voters for 10-year fire bonds in 1989. Voters also agreed to a 10-year tax in 1999.

City Council President Joe Shogan said city leaders should determine where the proposal did worst and why those voters were uncomfortable with the tax.

Given how close the tally is, “it’s hard to say that the whole thing was just a total failure,” Shogan said.

Meanwhile, in Airway Heights, the razor-close race for mayor appears headed for a hand recount.

Incumbent Matthew Pederson’s 10-vote lead has disappeared. After a fifth day of tabulation Tuesday, Pederson’s challenger, Councilman Patrick Rushing, leads by one.

State law requires elections with candidates within .5 percentage points of each other to be recounted. Rushing leads Pederson 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent.

“I knew it would be a close race,” said Pederson, 35, who was elected to the council in 2001 and mayor in 2005. “We’ll await that result.”

About 8,000 votes were processed Tuesday. Spokane County Elections Manager Mike McLaughlin said almost all the votes have been counted from last week’s election except for ballots that had problems and were set aside, such as ones that were not accompanied with a voter signature. The county’s canvassing board will examine questioned ballots and will determine by Nov. 24 which ones will be counted. If the tally in the Airway Heights mayoral race remains the same, the recount likely will start in early December, McLaughlin said.

Rushing, 52, who was first elected to the council in 1999, said he believed a pay raise the council approved this year for the mayor and itself was the major factor in the race. Rushing opposed the increases.

“I leave it up to God. If God wants me to be in the office, it will happen,” Rushing said Tuesday. “One way or the other, I’m going to be out there as an advocate for the citizens of Airway Heights.”

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Comments 12

12 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

JFRENCH on November 10 at 8:58 p.m.
It's sad that the city can't even come up with 60% to improve public safety. No one thinks they need the fire department until they actually NEED it. It's $27 per year per $100,000. C'mon.

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empyrius on November 10 at 9:34 p.m.
Decriminalize marijuana and the money saved lessening the burdens on our judicial system would more than make up for the money our firefighters need; heck, the city would even find a quite tidy sum of newfound revenue at its disposal! I will even buy a pack of dalmatians and pay for their lifelong needs as a show of appreciation for this wondrous “freedom” everybody says we have! Firefighters like plants don't they?!? Green and red go together quite nicely, there is something almost Christmassy about it!!!!! Keep it green!

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newspokanite on November 10 at 10:30 p.m.
Perhaps people are getting tired of being taxed when the city needs money to pay for things. The Fire, Police and Parks department expect the residents to pay additional taxes for capital facilities on top of the taxes already levied across the board. Here's a concept that our electeds should consider…BUDGET! Jurisdictions are required to have a 6-10 year Capital Facilities Plan to budget for these items such as trucks or radios or new stations. The need for additional equipment doesnt just come out of the blue, trucks have a certain life span, new stations need to be built in areas the city knows will grow, officials and staff SHOULD know this. YET, when they realize that they spent all their money on YMCA's and Racetracks they feel like they can just go to the people and ask for more money in the form of taxes. LUDICROUS. The reason the initiative failed is because people are getting tired of this…plain and simple.

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westside on November 10 at 10:52 p.m.
“The sky is falling..the sky is falling”…..nah…

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Rifleman__Dodd on November 10 at 11:10 p.m.
The Fire Department needs to quit driving those $350,000 pizza delivery trucks over to Rosauers in Browne's Addition. Oh I forgot they aint picking up pizza but some ribeyes/t-bones.

If you cant buy your own food on your own time or have your wife drop it off, then YOU got a problem.

Perhaps if the Fire Department personnel took a little pay cut, the voters would pass these “bonds”.

Actually these are not BONDS, but more property taxes. It would help if there was a bit more honesty in this shell game.

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newspokanite on November 10 at 11:11 p.m.
Regarding the Airway Heights election and Mr Rush assertion that the reason the race was close is because of the council (mayor) voting themselves a pay raise from $500 a month to $2000 for the mayor. Duh! How in their right minds can a politician be so brash as to vote himself a pay raise after the city laid off workers the past year due to supposed budget deficits. Simply astounding. Spokane City, County and practically every jurisdiction in the nation are experiencing budget shortfalls, laying off people, furloughs, program cuts, etc, yet in Airway Height's divine wisdom decide to approve a pay raise for themselves. It's comical…how can you take the mayor seriously with any respect when he makes bone headed moves like this. Cudos to Pat Rushing to understand this and come out and challenge this insipid action.

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cme on November 11 at 3:11 a.m.
Asking people to pay for “fire” has always been a very lucrative way of secretly raising taxes –using firemen as posterboy's to get such measures to pass. It almost ALWAYS works.

However… when you see 16 of them show up at your house at 1-am, in 4 or 5 trucks & aide cars …because you called 911 after your gas water heater decided to fail, & you smell gas, & hear a hissing sound –then indeed, you are grateful. But does it really take 16 of them to tell you the hissing sound is from steam? And that the gas smell is from the line clearing out after it automatically shut down? And that you need to call the gas company, & not them? One has to wonder if this is overkill?

With sooo many govt employee's being laid off or suffering from cut backs, one has to wonder why “fire people” feel as though they need an increase.

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ahwacitizen on November 11 at 6:08 a.m.
Since the pay raise for the Mayor position is the only platform that Rushing has pushed during his campaign, I am anxious to see what local charity will be the recipient of Rushing's salary. Don't be fooled by the bright lights and cut throat campaign people.

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soccermomsusie on November 11 at 6:19 a.m.
Rifleman Dudd, Maybe YOUR wife should drop something off at the station for the firefighters.

Maybe she has and that is why you are angry. Who doesn't like a nice juicy t-bone?

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Ron_the_Cop on November 11 at 7:36 a.m.
Of course what they asked for with the fire bonds didn't make much sense. Read more here:

Ten Good Reasons to Vote NO on Fire Bond (Prop #1)
http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/…

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westside on November 11 at 6:37 p.m.
Know why the fire dept needs a $33 million bond to buy new trucks etc? Because probably 80-90% of all taxes that fund the fire dept (millions) go for salaries, benefits, pensions, health care etc…..nothing left over to buy equipment!! If your Spokane city property taxes are increased $50. a MONTH, there would be plenty of money…same goes for SPD.

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arty on November 13 at 5:48 p.m.
cme…

no not overkill. Did you think about the seriousness of the issue had you really had a gas leak? The fire department doesn't want to risk the delay in time that it would take for one truck to find the leak and then request additional resources to help deal with the many dangerous possibilities a gas leak can generate. they need to be there now to save you and everyone else around you. what about evacuating the surrounding area and ensuring there is no ignition sources around? It takes more manpower than you might think. Think about it… that's what you probably told the 911 operator you thought it was. so they must assume the worst until proven otherwise.

You should be happy. Who else is going to come to your aid a 1am?

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