Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Valley City Council seeks to fill seat temporarily

The Spokane Valley City Council is looking for a Spokane Valley resident who is interested in serving as a temporary council member.

The temporary member will serve until Bill Bates returns to the City Council or for one year – whichever comes first. Bates has been on medical leave since mid-November.

The position comes with a $750 monthly compensation and full benefits are available.

At the last council meeting, member Chuck Hafner said he’d prefer a candidate who’s not a stranger to the council and can hit the ground running.

Council member Ed Pace, who’s been on the council for a year and a half, said he doesn’t think that’s needed.

“I want us to just follow the simple qualifications,” Pace said. “You have to be a registered voter and by the time you take office you must have lived in the city for a year.”

As a newer council member, Pace said he was surprised by how rigid the format is for discussions. Pace worked for Hewlett Packard for 24 years and said he was used to more team meetings and discussion.

“I’ve heard people say they are afraid to speak up,” Pace said. “That was a disappointment.”

Pace said a candidate should be ready to spend at least 20 hours a week on the job.

Council meetings are usually held Tuesday evenings and they last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the agenda.

Pace said one positive about serving on the council is simple: It feels good.

“I didn’t expect that,” he said.

Council member Rod Higgins is serving for the second year, and like Pace he doesn’t want to define any special qualifications.

He said it helped him that he served on the Planning Commission before he was appointed to the City Council.

“Sitting on the dais wasn’t a big surprise, but the weight of the decisions was,” Higgins said. “I have to live with it and so do a lot of other people. It’s finality.”

Higgins said it can be very time consuming depending on what a candidate puts into it.

“It’s important that the city is represented,” Higgins said.

He added that serving on the council gives a much better feel and understanding for the city.

“I drive down the street and I know we maintain them,” Higgins said. “I see a police car and I go: Hey, there’s the majority of our budget.”