Arne Woodard appointed to Spokane Valley council

The Spokane Valley City Council appointed Arne Woodard, 57, to fill the vacant seat that was held by Rose Dempsey. Woodard, president and owner of Woodard Properties, was nominated by Councilman Gary Schimmels. The vote Tuesday was 4 to 1 — Councilman Bill Gothmann was the only no vote. The new councilman has served on the planning commission in Spokane Valley. According to material he prepared to apply for the position, Woodard is strongly opposed to raising taxes; reducing taxes is his ultimate goal. Gothmann voted for Ben Wick, a 28-year-old IT system administrator at Goodrich Corp.