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December 29, 2011 in City
Verner looks back at trials, triumphs
Mayor’s tenure included Zehm case, snowfall records
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner points out landmarks in the downtown area to Payshense McDuffie-Richmond, a fifth-grader, during a recent office visit. Verner is nearing the end of her term as mayor.
(Full-size photo)
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner will leave office at the end of the week as the city’s longest serving strong mayor of the four who have served in that capacity.
But she also will be the 10th mayor in a row to only serve one term.
Verner appeared likely to break the streak after garnering a huge primary victory over David Condon. But her popularity collapsed in the wake of new revelations in an ongoing police scandal and summer water bills that began showing up at homes, mostly after people voted in the primary.
Verner said she likely will run for office again in the future. She’s been rumored as a possible Democratic candidate for Congress. When asked specifically about that possibility, she said she’s not sure if she will challenge U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane.
“That’s not something I’m really ready to discuss yet,” she said.
As far as work in the meantime, Verner said she’s not ready to reveal what specifically she’s considering but acknowledged that she will do some collegiate-level teaching.
“I’ll just tell you that I’m exploring higher ed and private sector business in that arena in which I believe what’s good for the environment is good for the economy.”
We sat down with Verner to talk about her four years and one month in office. We tossed out topics, names and a quote and asked her to describe what those topics mean to her.
Background: After being mistakenly identified as a suspect in a possible theft, janitor Otto Zehm died following a violent police confrontation in 2006 while shopping for soda pop and candy at a Spokane convenience store. A week before Verner lost her election, a federal jury convicted the first responding officer, Karl F. Thompson Jr., of violating Zehm’s civil rights and lying to investigators. In 2009, the city responded to a lawsuit from the Zehm estate by saying Zehm was responsible for his own death and that Thompson didn’t violate police procedures. When asked after the verdict why the city took that position even though the city’s assistant police chief felt otherwise, Verner said the answer likely will become clear through a citizen’s commission that she has formed to examine the case. Soon after the verdict, Verner requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the Police Department’s practices.
Verner: “It’s just a tragedy all around. It’s been a very painful experience for our community. We have had some good come out of it, which is about the best you can hope for when a community experiences something like this. We have the ombudsman program in place. We’ve made changes in the Police Department. … We have the citizens review commission well under way now under (former Gonzaga Law School Dean) Marty Martin’s leadership. I just checked in … with (U.S. Attorney) Mike Ormsby. I’m still waiting for the Department of Justice to let me know if they’re going to do that patterns and practices investigation.”
Water rates
Background: Water rates may have been the second biggest reason (behind Zehm) that Verner lost her bid for a second term. Condon hammered her for agreeing to the City Council ordinance in 2010 that lowered water rates for those who use less and increased rates for those who use more. Although most people pay less, some water customers pay significantly more. The water structure wasn’t her idea, but she signed the law that created them. During her tenure some utility fees have climbed significantly, especially for sewer, which was increased in large part to help pay for systems to prevent pollution into the Spokane River.
Verner: “I think about my desire to have a comprehensive approach and the tension between the executive branch and the legislative branch has been that my push for a comprehensive approach has been thwarted by a council that has taken a more piecemeal approach. I brought in the review of the utility rate structure. … I believe that I am leaving that entire conversation at a point where the city is in a better place. But we still rely on the City Council ultimately to pass the utility rates and it’s certainly been painful for me this year to have been saddled with City Council action and have that be a huge factor in my race for re-election as mayor. … I think where I stood has been a place that most voters, if they knew where I stood instead of what they were told, I think could believe that we were headed in the right direction.”
Sewage overflow tanks
Background: Verner has opted to push ahead plans to build “combined sewage overflow” tanks and to vastly improve treatment at the city’s wastewater plant to comply with requirements in the city’s discharge permit. The projects, which will cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, could be in danger as new City Council members and Mayor-elect David Condon, who have suggested they may challenge state cleanup requirements, enter office.
Verner: “My immediate reaction is the loss of Mike Cmos, which still chokes me up to this day. (Cmos, a wastewater department employee, died in an implosion at the city’s sewage treatment plant in 2004) … It’s a necessary investment in cleaning up the Spokane River and preventing raw sewage from going into the river. I think we have a much more sophisticated understanding now of what we need to do. I learned this year – and I thought I understood it quite well – the difference between South Hill CSO tanks and the opportunity for alternative approaches on the North Side of the city.
“It’s a commitment that we made long ago and I want us to remain committed to that. It also is interconnected with the facility (sewage treatment plant) that the county just built. This is a regional approach to preventing sewage from going into the river and cleaning up the phosphorus in the river. … Many, many hours (have been) spent by a lot of people coming up with cleanup plans and the financial analysis and the engineering analysis of how we’re going to make sure we no longer are discharging contaminants into the Spokane River.”
Riverfront Park YMCA
Background: The fate of the YMCA had as many false endings as a Terminator movie. The Spokane Park Board agreed to buy the land and building in 2004 for $5.3 million and put $1 million down but didn’t have a plan in place to pay for the rest of it. Eventually, they decided to seek Spokane County Conservation Futures property tax funding to buy it and tear down the vacant building to provide a better view of the falls. Some votes went against the plan; others went for it. Eventually, in the final votes that counted, the County Commission split in favor 2-1, and City Council split in favor 4-3. It took a lot of political wrangling from park board members, like Steve McNutt, and elected leaders including Verner, City Council President Joe Shogan and others to win support for tearing it down. Verner’s main argument during the debate was more about finances than improving the park. The city had no other option that was certain to pay off the bill for the building, she said. The building was torn down this year.
Verner: “Difficult decision, but the right one. And today when I look out the window or take my grandchildren for a walk through Riverfront Park I see a beautiful additional open space right on the shores of the Spokane River at the falls. It was the right decision, and I’m glad that we completed the work that was anticipated for those who had the vision for Expo ’74 and Riverfront Park.”
River Park Square
Background: When Verner served on the City Council, she voted in favor of settling lawsuits sparked by the city’s involvement in the reconstruction of River Park Square, which is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review. The city will pay a total of about $43 million from 2005 through 2027 as a result of the settlement.
Verner: “Complex litigation that I was able to vote to bring to closure as a city councilperson. I pursued it to its absolute end during my time as mayor going so far as to travel to Seattle on my budget to meet with Yale Lewis (a Seattle attorney who had once worked on the case) to find out if there was any other legal theory that was feasible to pursue for the satisfaction of our citizens, who still carry a grudge, and then to be able to move on. I’m pleased that it was closed out. I don’t think that any future administration will really have to deal in any significant way with the issue.”
‘Folks, it’s just snow’
Background: During Verner’s tenure, the city broke numerous snow records including: the most snow in a November, most snow in a December, most snow in a single snowstorm, most snow in a 24-hour period, most snow in a calendar year and most snow in a single winter. Things didn’t go well during the first big snowfall with Verner as mayor, in January 2008. Complaints mounted about the city’s slow response, resulting in a news conference in which Verner said: “Folks, it’s just snow and we’re doing the best we can to remove it.”
Verner was mocked for the statement. But less than a year later, an even bigger snowstorm, the biggest on record in Spokane, gave her a second chance at improving her snow record. By then, new procedures were in place to better clear snow, including contracts the city could use to bring private contractors on duty in an emergency.
Verner: “I just have to laugh in response to that. It was Marlene’s (city spokeswoman Marlene Feist’s) worst nightmare I think. … My particular quote was a big learning experience for me in how you express yourself when you know you’re going to be quoted by the media. The whole media experience has been definitely a chapter in my higher education. But I still believe that we need to keep things in perspective. We learned a lot in those two years of snowstorms. That’s for sure. And we improved our snow removal process significantly since then. … I come from a place of understanding that there are a lot worse things than snow, and I wasn’t engaging brain before speaking on that one. But it’s certainly something that I’ve had lots of laughs thrown my way about.”
Annexation
Background: Perhaps the biggest change instituted in Verner’s tenure is the annexation of the West Plains. At the moment Verner leaves office, about 10 square miles will become part of the city in what is the biggest expansion of Spokane in more than a century. Verner succeeded after years of failed efforts by negotiating with Airway Heights and county officials. She was aided, too, by new state law and by former Mayor Dennis Hession’s successful effort to annex the North Division Costco.
Verner: “I am really grateful that we accomplished the West Plains annexation. I think we reached a fair outcome for everybody. We allowed the county two years to adjust their finances and their operations. Airway Heights was able to gain some revenue. … The city has been well positioned to pursue economic development on the West Plains in a way that we only toyed at before and now we’re fully in there engaged. A sense of accomplishment.”
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
larry_b on December 29 at 5:44 a.m.
blah blah blah! GOODBYE to you lady!!!!!!!!
polistra on December 29 at 6:11 a.m.
I’m sad to see her go. In ideology I disagreed with her completely, but in practice her administration did more for the NW part of town than any recent admin. Also, she put blessed SAND back on the streets in winter, thus saving several lives.
Can’t argue with real ground-level achievement!
wdodd on December 29 at 7:49 a.m.
let’s hope she doesn’t run for public office of any kind in the future.
Bill_Jackman on December 29 at 8:22 a.m.
I think Verner’s legacy is that of a good communicator who turned her back on the folks that helped her get elected in 2007. She lost her political base and her integrity at the same time.
She could have cleaned house in city hall. A tough job but one that needed doing. Instead, she drank the punch and allowed a business as usual approach that Hession also favored. As that juror in Yakima stated “Politics in Spokane are dirty and corrupt”. That was the other verdict that she ignored.
Otto Zehm was only a single example of what is wrong with the culture in city hall. The cover-up was far worse than the crime and Verner spared no effort on protecting the guilty.
Verner’s ancestors know all to well what happens to people that are treated unjustly. Once in office, she favored the powerful over the powerless. That was her legacy and her fate.
strictlyme on December 29 at 8:24 a.m.
For the City of Spokane having such a screwy, out-of-date, archaic, and quagmired form of government (mayor-council vs council-manager) insofar as being able to make and enact progressive decisions, it is a near impossibility for any elected mayor to stand the test of time beyond one term…especially with a council format and agenda that has the ability to micromanage some of the programmatic operations vs just sticking to the legislative process. MV did as good a job as anyone could do under the circumstances and was a well-balanced leader for the community and a well-balanced administrator for the day-to-day operations and personnel. The wall-to-wall civil service coverage over 90+% of the city positions in combination with the heavy unionization hamstrings the mayor and administration from being much more nimble, proactive, flexible, able-to-change-with-the-times, modern, and responsive municipal organization. Without changing the city charter to revamping and reform civil service coverage for non-uniformed positions (police and fire as required by state law), there is little hope for any significant change as Mayor Condon will soon come to realize.
Ron_the_Cop on December 29 at 9:50 a.m.
Mayor Verner could still do some good in her the waning days in Office. If she has any aspirations of seeking public office again to regain the trust of the voters she should immediately:
1. Fire Roco Treppiedi - Zehm cover-up
2. Fire Chief Kirkpatrick - Zehm cover-up
2. Fire Fire Chief Bobby Williams - AMR billing fraud et al
3. Fire Gavin Cooley - and bring in an independent forensic auditor to study the books esp., fund transfers between enterprise funds and the general fund and the Waste to Energy Plant. Something is not right when it has a positive cash flow when it’s down for repairs when one of its coils breaks.
4. Call for all officer involved shootings/deaths to be reviewed by an inquest panel that could be implemented by the Board of Commissioners. This would be the quickest way to bring transparency to these investigations that in light of the Zehm case appear to have been lacking. The Mayor’s commission while commendable will take years before any real reform will take place.
5. Relieve Attys O. Yale Lewis and Gary Ceriani from their atty/client privilege to the City re the RPS bond frauds. After all the taxpayers footed their bill and should be entitled to their work product. The RPS is by no means over contrary to what Mayor Verner says.
There is an ongoing structural deficit to the general fund of $2 million dollars a year to service the debt of the new bonds that were issued to pay off the first defrauded RPS bond investors who successfully sued the City et al. This is currently be paid for with Downtown parking revenue that barely covers this expense.
The expense of the personnel to collect the parking meter money comes out of the general fund on top of the parking meter revenue. This is between 1/2M to 3/4M dollars.
In the down economy this structural deficit is a considerable drain on the general fund and probably would fund the SPD Crimes Against Property Unit that was recently disbanded as a cost reduction.
SpokyDaBear on December 29 at 10:02 a.m.
She loved enjoying all the perks of being the big mayor but refused to take on the responsibilities of leadership. Her it’s just snow comment shows how out of touch she was with the community. With a snow storm like that people wanted to hear real leadership like we have all the city equipment out working right now. It will take awhile to get to your street. In the meantime, please shovel your sidewalk if you can and check on your neighbors to see if they need help, especially if you have elderly neighbors. That’s all she had to do and she would have been a hero not a zero.
DickAdams on December 29 at 10:06 a.m.
Otto Zehm, RIP. Your family finely may find out who the culprits are when the DOJ, by providing honesty in our justice system, completes its case.
“Verner said the answer likely will become clear through a citizen’s commission that she has formed to examine the case. Soon after the verdict, Verner requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the Police Department’s practices”
After reading the foregoing, Verner should be ashamed of herself allowing, and joining, in the cover-up of the Otto Zehm murder, which IMO, is the worst of the worst a human being could do. Two other things I`ll always remember, 1) Verner participated in screwing the tax payers big time, and I`m reminded, twice each year when I pay my real estate taxes. Verner had the audacity to tell the citizens of Spokane, when approving a pay off to the developers of the RPS parking garage, IT MADE HER SICK TO HER STOMACH. Verner`s comment re the River Park Square parking garage when she condoned strapping the taxpayers through the year 2030 financially to pay off the debt. And in this story, Verner said, the RPS episode is finally closed? NOPE. 2) Verner`s flip flop on increasing water rates, when I received my city utilities bill, costing me over $300.00 for “a single month”. Verner`s reckless spending habits enters into the equation, by letting her underlings make her decisions. It points out, at least to me, her lack of management skills.
Oh, and BTW, Verner`s bragging about Rocco Treppiedi`s being an asset to her staff during her term says much about her mind set. Yikes! That statement alone speaks volumes about the underlings Verner appointed to positions helping her run the Lilac City and for the most part making all of her decisions.
GSLFan on December 29 at 10:57 a.m.
The Queen is dead. Long live the King.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 29 at 11:04 a.m.
Hard to swallow a “ositive” spin of hers in this article when nothing positive happened. Her words are hollow. She will seek elected office again though….and say the same hogwash.
Worst mayor on record. Nothing happened. Invisable for a reason. She never wanted anyone to know what she was up to…which, as it turns out, wasn’t much good. Oh I’m sure she’ll patch together the same ideas above when (not if) she runs against McMorris. That is assured. She left the city in debt…and there’s not much to show for it. Ask yourself what she’ll be remembered for….and there’s your answer as to her success as mayor.
GSLFan on December 29 at 11:37 a.m.
Why was there no question asked by the S-R on the city employee’s union contract that was shamefully renewed two weeks prior to a new city council and new mayor taking office?
The Queen shackled those who can actually DO something by negotiating this travesty.
huskerinwa on December 29 at 12:10 p.m.
Spokane has fallen for the best Mayor money could buy!
Good luck, you’ll need it!
Ashree_Simon on December 29 at 1:29 p.m.
We may not quite be sure what we will be getting with the next mayor, but we sure know what we got with the last mayor. I hope Verner does not run against McMorris Rodgers because I want to be able to vote for someone I can believe in.
Shadedmuse on December 29 at 1:33 p.m.
I predict their will be no Spokane after Cathy Mcmo-mo’s tea-bagger boy gets done ruining it.
GDodd on December 29 at 1:45 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NTk5iZHjfQ
wdodd on December 29 at 2:07 p.m.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out Verner! I feel your days are not over with in the eyes of the feds.
horse_feathers on December 29 at 4:48 p.m.
It was hers to lose.
I think the whole thing unraveled for her when she had the lame press conference and gave us the “Zehm” frequently ask questions and refused to answer any questions beyond that.
At the end of it I turned and said to my wife, “put a fork in her she’s done”.