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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Jonathan Brunt

Jonathan Brunt

Current Position: Asst. Managing Editor (Govt)

Jonathan Brunt joined The Spokesman-Review in 2004. He is the government editor. He previously was a reporter who covered Spokane City Hall, Spokane County government and public safety.

Email
jonathanb@spokesman.com
Phone
(509) 459-5442

All Stories

News >  Spokane

Council OKs tax proposal

Spokane voters will have a lot to consider on their February ballot, including a proposal to require supermajority votes by the City Council to raise taxes and some fees. Other measures headed for a special February election include: • A property tax increase for the Spokane Public Library to prevent branch closures and increase open hours. City taxes would increase by 7 cents for each $1,000 of property value – $7 for the owner of a $100,000 property.
News >  Spokane

‘Big-box stores underground’

The city of Spokane’s current strategy for reducing sewage flowing into the Spokane River centers on building huge underground tanks. Those tanks hold the storm water and sewage mixture that overflows during big storms or when snow is rapidly melting. And they are about to get big. City sewage officials compare tanks that will be built in the next few years to “big-box stores underground.”
News >  Spokane

City hopes to extend sewage outflow deadline

Spokane city leaders have promised for more than a decade to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Spokane River by 2018.  But with five years left until that state-mandated target, the city is abandoning the goal, as well as a $350 million plan to reach it and the accompanying rate increases that would pay for it.
News >  Spokane

Council mulls supermajority requirement

It could soon get harder for Spokane city leaders to raise taxes. The Spokane City Council on Monday will consider whether to ask voters if raising tax rates should require approval of at least five of the city’s seven council members.
News >  Spokane

No easy fix to halt violence

In an address to the nation, President Barack Obama promised action to prevent future mass shootings in response to Friday’s killings at a Connecticut elementary school. In crafting potential policy changes in the Washington Legislature, state Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, will have a unique voice.
News >  Spokane

Voters likely to get library plea

There could be something for almost everyone on a special election ballot in February. Originally wary of spending the money to hold a special election, the Spokane City Council on Monday appears ready to send three items to the ballot for voters to consider. The council last week set aside $200,000 to hold the election.
News >  Spokane

Spokane officials consider response to school shooting

In an address to the nation, President Barack Obama promised action to prevent future mass shootings in response to Friday’s mass murder at a Connecticut elementary school. In crafting possible related policy changes in the Washington State Legislature, state Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, will have a unique voice.
News >  Spokane

Animal control to embark regionally

Spokane Valley’s expected decision to keep partnering with Spokane County to perform its animal control work has made the creation of a single regional animal control agency almost certain starting in 2014. City of Spokane leaders say they are in negotiations to join Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service and hope to present a deal to the City Council early next year. The Spokane Valley City Council is expected to accept a 20-year contract with SCRAPS perhaps before the end of the year.
News >  Spokane

Divided Spokane council approves budget

Spokane’s city government is shedding 92 jobs. The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 4-3 to freeze the city general fund budget, largely accepting the recommendations of Mayor David Condon.
News >  Spokane

City facing cuts to fire service

Less than a week after Spokane firefighters pulled two people from a burning home, the Spokane City Council is considering a budget that will essentially end first-response firefighting capabilities at one of its 15 fire stations. Cuts to the city’s fire service likely is the most controversial part of the proposed 2013 city budget that the City Council is scheduled to consider Monday night.
News >  Spokane

Curtains could come down on Spokane’s Imax theater

Last Friday, the number of people who watched the first four films of the day at Riverfront Park’s Imax was zero. It’s a sign of the times for the theater, which has experienced falling attendance since it lost the right to run first-run feature films.
News >  Spokane

Library tax could be on ballot

Spokane voters in February may get a chance to save the city’s small library branches and substantially increase branch hours. Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart is proposing that voters be asked for a property tax boost for libraries on the Feb. 12 ballot.
News >  Spokane

Emergency call system back online

Spokane County’s 911 system was placed back in regular operation Thursday afternoon. Emergency communications operators had been taking calls out of the system’s backup center north of the city of Spokane since the 911 phone system crashed Monday evening.
News >  Spokane

Spokane County 911 system repaired

Spokane County's 911 system is back in regular operation. Operators of the county's emergency communication system had been taking calls out of the system's backup center since the 911 phone system crashed Monday evening.
News >  Spokane

County 911 system still under repair

Spokane County 911 operators continued to work out of a backup communications center following Monday’s system failure of the main emergency calling system. Phone lines for 911 and Crime Check, the non-emergency police assistance line, went dead Monday about 6:40 p.m. When two backup systems also failed, operators were sent to the county’s backup communications center about nine miles away, north of Spokane. Callers could not get through to 911 operators for nearly 40 minutes.
News >  Spokane

County’s 911 system, backups fail

Callers needing emergency help in Spokane County could not get through to 911 operators for 38 minutes Monday evening. It’s unclear what caused the problem or how many callers could not get help during the outage, said Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, who leads the Spokane County Emergency Services Communications Policy Board.
News >  Spokane

Motorcyclist struck, run over by pickup truck

A motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries Monday evening when he was struck and run over by a pickup at a busy downtown intersection. Police say the pickup was westbound on Sprague Avenue and turning south onto Browne Street at about 5:15 p.m. when it collided with the 63-year-old motorcyclist, who was eastbound and had the right of way.
News >  Spokane

Spokane customers using more water under cheaper rates

In the summer and fall of 2011, Spokane City Hall phone lines were crammed with angry water customers. But that changed this summer and fall under new water rates installed by Mayor David Condon and the City Council just in time for summer watering.
News >  Spokane

Council rejects increase in property taxes

Spokane’s property taxes next year will be frozen. The Spokane City Council’s decision on Monday to forgo its usual tax increase is noteworthy not only because the city almost always takes the 1 percent rise allowed by state law, but because officials are planning to eliminate 100 jobs from city government at the same time.