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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Spokane City Council picks finalists for Snyder’s seat

The Spokane City Council has settled on seven finalists to replace Jon Snyder, who left the council for a state job earlier this month.

They are:

Breean Beggs, who unsuccesfully ran for county prosecutor in 2014 and represented the family of Otto Zehm in a suit against the city. He also is legal counsel for the city’s police ombudsman commission.

Todd Beyreuther, an assistant research professor at the Institute for Sustainable Design at Washington State University.

Asher Ernst, who works for the First Presbyterian Church of Spokane and has been on the city’s Plan Commission since 2008.

Patricia Hansen, a member of the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood executive committee who recently helped clarify the city’s law ruling where cellphone towers can be built.

Blaine Stum, Snyder’s former legislative aide and chairman of the city’s Human Rights Commission. He is also the chairman of Inland Northwest Business Alliance’s public policy committee.

Phillip Tyler, an Air Force veteran and vice president of the Spokane NAACP who worked with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich wrote a letter to the council endorsing Tyler for the position.

John Waite, a four-time candidate for the council who owns Merlyn’s, a comics and game store.

The seat, which represents south Spokane, was held by Jon Snyder, who left the city earlier this month for a policy adviser position in state government. The remaining members will appoint a replacement early next month who will serve the rest of his term ending in 2017.

The position is nonpartisan, but the council has a liberal 5-1 majority, a coalition that included Snyder before his resignation. The council will review the applicants, interview their top choices and vote to fill the seat Feb. 8 during a regularly scheduled Monday night meeting. It pays about $31,000 a year.



Nicholas Deshais
Joined The Spokesman-Review in 2013. He is the urban issues reporter, covering transportation, housing, development and other issues affecting the city. He also writes the Getting There transportation column and The Dirt, a roundup of construction projects, new businesses and expansions. He previously covered Spokane City Hall.

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