Upbeat Spokane mayor cites progress three years into term

Pacing back and forth at the edge of the stage, far from the lectern but nearer his audience, Spokane Mayor David Condon gave a confident, upbeat appraisal of his first three years in office in his annual State of the City address, noting that much of his administration’s work at City Hall began with the premise: “What would happen if?”

Condon pointed to changes at the city during his tenure, including a revamped plan to keep pollutants out of the river, the hiring of more police officers, and the success of the Riverfront Park bond and street levy.

The speech initially was delivered to a breakfast gathering of Greater Spokane Incorporated, in a new section of the Spokane Convention Center last week. But beginning Wednesday, Condon will deliver versions of the speech in the next few weeks at four Spokane libraries.

In the talk, the mayor stuck to familiar themes, including achievement of a balanced budget and making City Hall more efficient. Videos were interspersed throughout his speech, including segments from local news broadcasters praising work done by the city, as well as videos produced for the city.

Condon said he credited collaboration at the city and in neighborhoods for what he viewed as his administration’s accomplishments, including working closely with the City Council.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success,” he said, quoting Henry Ford. “Think about it. The collegiality, those partnerships, the togetherness is at the heart of the best successes we’ve enjoyed as a city.”

He noted the disagreements that happen in City Hall, but said “we disagree over a very small percentage of the work we do at the city. … Professional, constructive discussion is healthy.”

The speech began with a version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” its lyrics replaced with new ones about Spokane under Condon’s leadership, with the new chorus of “It was always burning since Spokane’s been turning.”

As a father of young children, Condon quoted “one of the great thinkers of our times.”

“ ‘Think left and think right and think low and think high,’ ” he said, quoting Dr. Seuss. “ ‘Oh, the thinks you can think up if you only try.’ At its most fundamental level, that’s what this is all about. Leaving the city better than any of us – you, me, the city employees, everyone watching today – found it.”