Spokane Mayor Mary Verner has her first official opponent in this year’s mayoral race. Christopher W. Fenton, 32, filed paperwork last month announcing his intention to run for the city’s highest office. Fenton, who works as a lab analyst at Signature Genomics in Spokane, said…
The deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMoris Rodgers confirmed Tuesday that he is "seriously considering" entering the race for Spokane mayor. David Condon, 37, said he is "trying to assess" if the city needs new leadership. "It's something that I've always wanted…
Spokane Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin's landslide reelection victory in 2009 has made her name pop up as a possible candidate for just about any local office. Last year, she was courted by Republicans to run for state Legislature. She declined. She had left open the possibility…
Former City Councilman Mike Allen announced last week that he is entering the race to challenge Richard Rush in hopes of once again representing south Spokane. Allen, a former Eastern Washington University administrator, was named to the council to replace Mary Verner after she was…
A battle may be shaping up to take over for City Council President Joe Shogan. Ben Stuckart, executive director for Communities in Schools of Spokane County, said Wednesday that he is "strongly considering" a run for Spokane City Council president. City Councilman Steve Corker announced…
John Waite, the owner of Merlyn's in downtown Spokane, is making a third run for Spokane City Council. He announced his run today in a news release. Waite ran unsuccessfully for council in 2007 and 2009 in the city's northwest district. This time, however, Waite…
Donna McKereghan, former chairwoman of the Logan Neighborhood Council, is making a second run for Spokane City Council. McKereghan, 57, filed papers announcing her candidacy last month with the state Public Disclosure Commission. McKereghan lost to Councilman Bob Apple in the 2007 general election. She…
Mayor Mary Verner told the Spokane City Council on Tuesday that she will reconvene a committee that will help form policy on paving streets and select opportunities to focus "complete streets" efforts. For the most part, the city's 2004 street bond has been used only…
Downtown businessman Steve Salvatori filed paperwork this month to launch a bid for Spokane City Council. Salvatori, a Republican who run unsuccessfully for the Spokane County Commission last year, hopes to win the seat representing Northwest Spokane that will be vacated by Councilman Steve Corker.…
Even without newly elected officials on the Spokane City Council, power appears to be shifting in the New Year. One year after the council removed Nancy McLaughlin from the board overseeing the Spokane Transit Authority, the Spokane City Council voted to reappoint McLaughlin -- the…
Spokane's local government cable TV station is improving its live offerings. Starting on Jan. 19, CityCable 5 will begin airing live the monthly meetings of the Spokane Transit Authority board. The transit board has some big votes in the coming months, including deciding which routes…
In honor of King Cole, whose memorial service is Thursday morning, I present what may be my favorite photo in The Spokesman-Review's great photo archives. It's from the grand opening of Riverfront Park. Here's the caption: President Jimmy Carter momentarily looks the wrong way as…
A $20 tax on vehicles owned by drivers living in the city of Spokane won't be approved this year.The Spokane City Council voted unanimously on Monday to postpone a vote on the tax until Jan. 10. The decision ensures that if the tax is approved,…
In a close vote on Saturday, the Spokane County Republican Party replaced it chairwoman with the former mayor of Airway Heights. Precinct committee officers voted 91-85 for Matthew Pederson, a current Airway Heights city councilman, over the incumbent leader, Cindy Zapotocky. Heading into the race,…
Council President Joe Shogan took the lead this year on the plan to create a vehicle tab tax while others on Spokane City Council examined other ideas -- including a parking lot tax. Shogan's plan is pretty much the only tax left that might be…
Spokane's 2011 street budget was slashed by $1.5 million on Monday in a move that may mean extra city layoffs.The Spokane City Council voted 4-3 on Monday to shift $1.5 million in street money to the city's rainy-day fund where it could be used to…
Spokane City Councilman Steve Corker announced Monday that he will run for Spokane City Council president next year. Corker, 69, is a former advertising and marketing executive who was first elected to the council in 1999. Rather than run for re-election, Corker ran unsuccessfully for…
At the end of counting last night, many local Democrats said they suspected that votes from the city of Spokane were under-represented in Tuesday's counts.Since the city leans strongly in favor of Democrats, that would bode well for the party in later counts. But Spokane…
Claim: "With (Marr's) tax increases, it's hurting my employees and my business and the last thing I need right now is an income tax," said Julie (who doesn't give a last name and claims to be a Spokane business owner).Source: TV ad from "Spokane Families…
Claim: "Chris Marr (D) has wasted too much time in Olympia. (He) voted to designate the Olympic Marmot the official endemic mammal of the State of Washington, voted to create Christmas tree inspectors, voted to require truth in music advertising (and) voted to designate the…
Claim: "Michael Baumgartner pledged to outlaw all abortions - and to not allow women and their families to decide what's best when facing serious medical complications in their pregnancies."Source: Mailer from Healthy PAC, which is funded completely by Safety PAC, which is funded mostly by…
Dave Stevens, a Republican who lost his bid this summer for Spokane County prosecutor to incumbent Republican Steve Tucker and Democrat Frank Malone, said Wednesday that he cast his vote for Malone in the November election.The vote is a reversal from where Stevens stood after…
Two associations that gave money to a Republican group that is funding an ad against incumbent Democratic state Sen. Chris Marr criticized the spot and say they will reevaluate their political donation strategies in light of the commercial.The Washington Health Care Association gave $30,000 to…
The woman whose sexual harassment lawsuit was highlighted in a recent campaign commercial against state Sen. Chris Marr demanded Saturday that the ad be pulled from TV. In a hand-written letter released by the Marr campaign, Dawn Fowler said she was outraged when she saw…
A new TV commercial began running this week criticizing state Sen. Chris Marr for running an auto dealership that settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with an employee.The issue popped up in Marr's first run for office in 2006. Marr, a Democrat, is in a heated…
