Mike Fagan
A candidate for Council District No. 1, City of Spokane in the 2015 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 4
Party: No party
Age: 65
City: Spokane, WA
Why he’s running: Fagan is running to help Spokane maintain the same character it had when he grew up in the city, but also move it forward and navigate its growth.
His pitch: Fagan describes himself as a constituent-facing elected official who has listened to the concerns of residents during his first two terms on the Spokane City Council. Unlike other council members, he says, he does not focus on “social issues” and does not have an “agenda.”
Age: 59 Jan. 1, 1960
Education: Graduated North Central High School in 1978.
Political experience: Fagan has served two terms on the City Council. Former president of Bemiss Neighborhood Council.
Work experience: Co-director of Voters Want More Choices, a group led by Tim Eyman that advocates for lower taxes. Worked as a purchasing officer of a communications company in California in the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Worked at MOR Manufacturing in Post Falls, including as materials manager, from 1997 to 2007. Served in U.S. Army from 1978 until 1987. Co-hosts radio show about local politics.
Family: Married. Has three children.
Candidate Channels
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Fagan (N) | 2,490 | 49.67% |
| Ben Krauss | 1,262 | 25.17% |
| Randy Ramos | 1,261 | 25.15% |
Related Coverage
Spokane mayor’s wage would be set by panel under proposal
Spokane’s mayor would no longer have to be the highest-paid city worker under a proposal voters may decide next year. Councilman Mike Fagan is proposing to give the city’s Salary Review Commission the power to set the mayor’s wage, a change that would require approval from city voters. The idea was first proposed by Mayor David Condon after the blowback he received when he proposed giving himself a raise based on the city charter, which currently requires him to be the top-paid city worker.
Scott Chesney remains mum on specific reasons for ouster
Scott Chesney, Spokane’s planning director who was abruptly ousted from his position last week, said Wednesday he was taking the “high road” and ending his role at the city. Chesney did not give details on why he was forced to resign, but his silence is in line with that of Mayor David Condon and Jan Quintrall, head of the city’s Business and Development Services and Chesney’s supervisor, who both said they could not comment on the matter because of personnel confidentiality.
Spokane planning director leaves abruptly after ‘loss of confidence’
Hours after the city planning director was forced out of his job on Wednesday, one of Spokane’s premier developers publicly called on the mayor to hire him back. Jim Frank, president of Greenstone Corp., which is developing Kendall Yards, sent an email to numerous city and business leaders Wednesday evening after hearing that Scott Chesney, Spokane’s planning director since 2011, abruptly left the city.
Spokane 2015 budget pays 164 workers six figures
The number of city employees earning six figures has increased under Spokane Mayor David Condon, despite his critical stance against such high earners when he was campaigning for office and drastic cuts to the number of people on the city’s payroll under his watch. In Condon’s 2015 budget proposal, 164 positions at City Hall will earn more than $100,000, not counting overtime pay. Of the top 100 paid positions at City Hall, 64 are from the police or fire departments.
Spokane City Council prohibits immigration status inquiries by employees, including police
Beheadings and Ebola made an appearance at this week’s Spokane City Council meeting, as did some deferred gratitude from Council President Ben Stuckart, who thanked the Spokane Tribe of Indians for allowing the city’s founders to settle here. It’s fair to say discussion got off track about an ordinance proposed by Stuckart that said, “no Spokane City officer or employee shall inquire into the immigration status of any person, or engage in activities designed to ascertain the immigration status of any person.”
Spokane mayor to decline $7,000 pay raise
Facing public pressure and criticism from the City Council, Spokane Mayor David Condon said Wednesday he will not take a $7,000 pay increase as planned in his 2015 budget proposal. Condon’s salary was set to climb to nearly $180,000, which would almost match that of Seattle’s mayor. The increase in pay sparked an uproar, and the City Council said the budget didn’t reflect the “community’s values.”
Administrative raises jar city budget talks
Concerns over proposed pay increases for Spokane Mayor David Condon and a majority of his 13 cabinet members are threatening to derail budget discussions at City Hall, as the mayor and City Council members forcefully argued their cases in dueling news conferences on Friday. Standing in front of a C.O.P.S. shop in the West Central neighborhood Friday morning and flanked by four council members, Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart said a proposed $7,000 pay increase for Condon was “utterly ridiculous” and vowed to craft “a new budget that reflects the community’s values.”
Spokane mayor’s budget plan includes raises for himself, his cabinet
Spokane Mayor David Condon already makes more money than Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Next year, if his proposed pay raise gets approved by the City Council, he’ll make more than his former boss, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The $7,000 raise will bring his annual pay to nearly $180,000, and the increase is part of the mayor’s proposed 2015 city budget released this week. He’s not the only one set to receive a bump in pay. The 14 people in Condon’s Cabinet, including the mayor, are getting on average a 2 percent increase in pay.
Spokane councilman Mike Fagan tries to halt police pact
Spokane City Councilman Mike Fagan unsuccessfully attempted to derail an employment contract agreement between the city and the police leadership union Monday night, saying “citizens still hold a grudge” against police for recent misconduct. The council was considering a five-year collective bargaining deal with the Spokane Police Lieutenants and Captains Association. The agreement is largely in line with a deal struck with the Police Guild earlier this year, according to Council President Ben Stuckart.
Council ready to OK Uber, Lyft; taxis to get breaks
When Chris Wetherell gets off shift as a firefighter at Spokane International Airport early in the morning, he takes a long drive to his home in Spokane Valley. On his way, he opens up a Lyft app on his phone, throws a pink moustache on his car and picks up someone in the city looking for a ride. Wetherell has been a Lyft driver since May and was one of the first five drivers to operate in the city. Lyft and its competitor Uber are ride-share companies that use phone apps to arrange transactions to transport passengers. But since Lyft and Uber arrived in Spokane, taxi companies have questioned their legality.