Election Center
Hayden property tax increase would more than double number of deputies on patrol
The tax on the November ballot would increase property taxes by 26 cents per $1,000 in assessed home value, which works out to an estimated $4.23 per month for a $300,000 home.
Christie Wood, Elaine Price vie to replace longtime Coeur d’Alene councilman
Coeur d’Alene voters will choose between two women with long-time ties to Coeur d’Alene for a seat on City Council.
City Council president candidates Breean Beggs and Cindy Wendle on the record, on the issues
The Spokesman-Review asked the candidates for Spokane City Council president a series of questions about city policy and priorities in an attempt to glean further insight into their priorities and positions.
Ads for Beggs, Wendle offer different take on crime
A new ad for Cindy Wendle laments the sharp rise in drug-related crime in downtown Spokane. But a new ad for her opponent, Breean Beggs, celebrates a decrease in crime of more than 15% citywide. They’re both right.
As campaign ad shows Baltimore homeless camp, Cindy Wendle says she doesn’t recognize Spokane
In a 30-second spot released this week by a candidate for Spokane City Council president, a brief scene shows a row of tents shaking in the wind. But the footage appears to have been taken in Baltimore, not Spokane.
UK’s Johnson seeks Dec 12 election to break Brexit impasse
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday that the only way to break Britain’s Brexit impasse is a general election, and he will ask Parliament to approve a national poll for Dec. 12.
Stuckart backs warming center plan, while Woodward questions city’s planning
In a city election cycle that has featured homelessness as its central issue, the impact on voters of Spokane’s latest plan to address homelessness remains to be seen, as ballots have already landed in mailboxes and will be counted in less than two weeks.
Canada’s Trudeau wins 2nd term but nation more divided
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term in a stronger-than-expected showing in Canada’s national elections, claiming a “clear mandate” Tuesday despite a Parliament and nation increasingly fractured along regional lines.
Ben Stuckart wants City Council to rally against car-tab initiative; Tim Eyman travels to Spokane to protest
Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart introduced a resolution on Monday that would formalize the council’s opposition to Initiative 976, which critics believe could jeopardize funding for critical transportation projects like the North Spokane Corridor.
Spokane Firefighters Union PAC hasn’t revealed source of $66,000, complaint alleges
A complaint filed with the Public Disclosure Commission alleges that the firefighters union, which has poured funding behind efforts in opposition to mayoral candidate Nadine Woodward, failed to account for the source of some $60,000 in contributions to its political action committee this summer.
Getting There: Northwest Spokane City Council candidates talk Monroe, Five Mile and other needed street repairs
City Councilwoman Karen Stratton and her opponent in the November election, Andy Rathbun, both say there are roads in the northwest part of town that need attention from City Hall. They offered their opinions on road diets and what should be done to alleviate heavy traffic in the rapidly growing reaches of the Five Mile area.
Third-generation leader of multibillion-dollar real estate firm gives big in support of Nadine Woodward
Fritz Wolff, the scion of a multibillion-dollar real estate empire founded in Spokane Valley 70 years ago by his grandfather, is spending his personal wealth in a way not seen before in Spokane to influence city elections, throwing his weight behind conservative causes and candidates including mayoral hopeful Nadine Woodward.
Up for debate: A closer look at claims, arguments Spokane’s mayoral candidates keep making
From Border Patrol to Boise, here’s a deeper look into some of the oft-discussed topics of debate.
Spin Control: Seattle city elections about issues similar to those at stake in Spokane
There’s a city that starts with an “S” that has municipal elections this year, where solutions to homelessness – or the lack thereof – have been controversial, where the questions of experience versus new blood are being raised and businesses are spending a boatload of money on their preferred candidates.
Thousands of genealogy books being phased out at downtown Spokane library ahead of renovations
Members of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society, who’ve been meeting in the downtown library since it opened in 1994, said they were surprised when asked to reduce their collection of materials by thousands of volumes. The library is seeking a more streamlined, Spokane-focused offering of genealogy and history resources when the remodeled library opens in 2022.
Spokane County Fire District 10 commissioner candidates have signficant experience
The race for Spokane County Fire District 10 commissioner comes down to financial versus emergency management experience. After the first primary election for a District 10 commissioner in more than a decade, voters whittled down their choices to Gordon Hester, a volunteer district 10 captain, who has been a commercial real estate broker for about 30 years, and Kevin Haughton, a Spokane city fire lieutenant, who has worked with Northwest Incident Management teams for about 13 years.
Candidates for Spokane County Fire District 5 Commission have long ties to community
Spokane County Fire District 5 Commissioner Isla Durheim and challenger Ed Marston rode the same school bus together as children.
First ballots mailed for Spokane County general election Nov. 5
A total of about 330,000 ballots will be mailed to voters throughout Spokane County this week, ahead of a Nov. 5 election that will see several city hall, school board and fire district races decided. Also included are a dozen advisory votes on state tax and fee increases.
First-time candidates vie for Airway Heights City Council seat
Sarah Slater, a para-educator, faces Jennifer Morton, an assistant to Spokane’s mayor, in the race for a seat on the Airway Heights City Council.
Debate rivals assail Warren as she joins Democrats’ top rank
Elizabeth Warren repeatedly came under attack during the Democratic presidential debate as rivals accused the Massachusetts senator of ducking questions about the cost of Medicare for All and her signature wealth tax plan in an attempt to derail her rising campaign.