David Condon
A candidate for Mayor, City of Spokane in the 2015 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 4
Age: 51
Occupation: Incumbent mayor
His Words: “We have now for two years developed budgets that didn’t require reductions. Last year we added more police officers. We are looking at doing things smarter, not only our accountability standards and performance measures, but also at how we do economic development.”
His Pitch: As mayor, Condon has overseen falling crime rates, an increase in median household income and a steadying of the city’s finances. Also under his watch, the city cut $150 million off the plan that will significantly reduce pollution from entering the river, which helped prevent significant utility bill increases. Voters also approved a 20-year street levy and $64 million bond to revamp Riverfront Park.
Notable Experience: Incumbent mayor. Former district director and deputy chief of staff for Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers from 2005 until 2011. Served in U.S. Army from 1996 through 2005, including as a company commander at a combat support hospital.
Education: Graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1992. Earned bachelor’s degree in finance from Boston College in 1996.
Neighborhood: Comstock
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| David Condon | 17,078 | 66.36% |
| Shar Lichty (D) | 6,216 | 24.15% |
| Michael Noder | 2,442 | 9.49% |
Related Coverage
New state rule on apple maggot puts Spokane yard waste recycling at risk
An emergency rule issued last month by the Washington state Agriculture Department to protect the state’s $2 billion apple industry has threatened to derail Spokane’s curbside yard waste recycling program – just as the city is preparing to begin picking up green bins this week. The rule, which strengthens the department’s regulatory power over composting facilities, surprised city officials and the private operators of the city and county’s shared composting facility in Lincoln County. They warned that the rule could cost the city more than $1 million in upgrades or shut down entirely the green waste operation, which collects food scraps and yard debris.
Shawn Vestal: Spokane statistics on crime, use of force are heartening
When police Chief Frank Straub steps before the Spokane Use of Force Commission for the final time today, he will have a lot to report. But if he had to boil it down, he might just say: Crime is down, and so is the use of force by officers.
COPS nudged toward more independence
Spokane’s volunteer group Community Oriented Policing Services will move its headquarters out of the Public Safety Building this year, thanks to a city push to make the group more independent. For 2015, the group’s proposed contract with the city calls for COPS to manage its own leases, computers, utilities and other business expenses – expenses the city used to cover.
Court orders initiative vote
Envision Spokane, the twice-failed initiative seeking to bolster environmental protection and neighborhood and labor rights, will be before voters again, after a decision Thursday by a state appellate court. The ruling reverses a 2013 decision by a Superior Court judge to remove the controversial measure from that year’s general election ballot. The court ordered the city to put the measure on the next available ballot.
Jan Quintrall resigns from city of Spokane
Jan Quintrall, the embattled head of Spokane’s Business and Developer Services division, announced her resignation from the city Tuesday, saying she had “broken the public’s trust, and I can’t repair that.” In a letter to her employees, Quintrall said the city’s “ongoing progress is continually being sidelined by the negative attention on me, with the focus being directed away from all the good staff is doing here.”
Quintrall announces resignation
The Spokane administrator who led Spokane’s engineering, streets, business and other departments, announced Tuesday that she was resigning her position.
City moves to reduce fire response times
For nearly a decade, Spokane city leaders have called for expanded fire service in the southwest corner of town. This week, Spokane Mayor David Condon said his administration was making it a reality with the help of a $2 million federal grant, but solutions for funding a new fire station after the grant’s expiration remain unclear. Condon announced Thursday the city will “provide full-time, round-the-clock coverage in the area surrounding Thorpe and Highway 195,” thanks to the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant. The grant money will be used to hire and train 12 firefighters, six of whom will staff a temporary fire station in Latah Valley. Two more positions for the station will be funded from the fire department’s current budget, providing for a two-person-per-unit station that can respond to fires and medical emergencies.
Condon proposes panel to discuss jobs training
With $500 million of public works projects scheduled during the next five years, Spokane Mayor David Condon has a plan to create a qualified local workforce to help in construction. Condon announced Monday his idea to convene a group to discuss how best to train workers for construction careers, which he said will help raise Spokane’s depressed median income to national standards. The group will consist of veterans, people with disabilities, women, minorities, people with criminal records and young people, as well as contractors and union and business representatives, according to the mayor’s spokesman, Brian Coddington.
Huckleberries: Police blotter writer worthy of praise
Whoever wrote the blotter report for the Post Falls Police Department on Thursday is a kindred spirit of Huckleberries. One brief report told of a woman and her roommate who were frightened by someone trying to break into their apartment. Upon investigation, the two women discovered that a “cat burglar” had tried but failed to enter their home. The report concluded: “This is most likely due to the absence of opposing thumbs.” … Another item told of a man who called the cops because a Post Falls convenience store clerk wouldn’t let him use the restroom. The man demanded his right to pee in the store because, after all, restaurants allow patrons to use their restrooms. The blotter noted: “The officer provided the male with clues that would help him later differentiate between a convenience store and a dining establishment.” … Finally, there was the Taco Bell worker bee who discovered “after a long night of nacho building” that he had locked himself out of his car. An officer opened the door with a slim jim. The blotter read: “A slim jim is a tool used to unlock a vehicle. Not to be confused with a stick of processed meat” … The report received 332 likes, 33 shares and 76 comments on Facebook, including this one from Councilwoman Kerri Thoreson: “I give this report two thumbs up!” He shall overcome
Justice Department wants Spokane to improve how it investigates police force
On Friday, the Justice Department will release its audit of the Spokane Police Department that began in February 2013. Follow our live coverage of the report’s release, which is expected to take place at a news conference at 11 a.m.