Jonathan Brunt

Spokane Mayor Mary Verner is proposing new taxes, but they wouldn’t be passed on to the public – at least not for now. With the city facing increasingly sluggish sales tax revenue, Verner wants the city to assess its utility tax against two currently tax-free sewer and water fees.

If money is any sign, the battles for legislative seats in Spokane are among the most competitive in the state. Candidates for two House seats in the 6th Legislative District, a crescent-shaped area that includes parts of Spokane and areas north, south and west of the city, have raised more than $767,000 – a record for House candidates in the district. And that’s not including money spent on behalf of the candidates by independent political action committees.

The future of a privately-owned property surrounded by Riverfront Park remained uncertain Tuesday after Spokane County commissioners said they needed more time to decide whether they should purchase the land. Spokane parks leaders have asked the county to tap its Conservation Futures tax to buy the downtown YMCA and the four-fifths of an acre it sits on to return the land to a natural state.

A candidate for one of the state’s most hotly contested legislative seats has tempered one of his campaign promises to push for greater offshore oil drilling. Republican hopeful Kevin Parker, seeking the state House seat currently held by state Rep. Don Barlow, D-Spokane, said Friday he’s undecided on whether he would support drilling off the Pacific coast of Washington, explaining that statements in a recent campaign brochure were mostly aimed at proposed drilling in other states.

An argument often used to support anti-tax proposals from Tim Eyman is being used against his latest statewide initiative. Opponents of Eyman’s latest concept say a vote in favor of Initiative 985 is a vote to suck money away from Eastern Washington to metropolitan Seattle.

The accusations continue in one of the state’s most contested legislative districts over income taxes. The House Republican Organizational Committee mailed fliers to residents in the 6th Legislative District last week claiming that Democrat John Driscoll supports the adoption of a state income tax. A different organization has targeted incumbent Democrat Don Barlow over the same issue.

A race car driver who owns a chain of auto repair shops in Western Washington is in the lead position to win a contract to oversee Spokane County’s new raceway. A committee formed to analyze the two bids to run Spokane County Motorsports Park in Airway Heights decided Monday that Midway Muffler & Radiator, which is owned by driver Bucky Austin, has the best plan for the raceway. Midway does business as Bucky’s Complete Auto Repair, headquartered in Fife, Wash.

Though federal leaders acted in ways that have thrown the nation’s economy into turmoil, Spokane officials’ foresight will help the city survive hard economic times, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner said Monday in her annual state of the city address. “At the local level, we will feel the impacts of private-sector and federal government behaviors that arose from thinking in the short term without appropriately planning for long-term consequences,” Verner said, noting Congress’ recent $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. “That is not the legacy we want to leave for Spokane’s future generations.”

A year after agreeing to sell at a loss one of the largest undeveloped patches of industrial land in central Spokane, city leaders believe they can turn a profit from the property. Spokane City Council last week voted to sell most of the former Playfair horse track, which the city purchased in 2004.

John Moyna – perhaps the biggest underdog in any of this year’s state legislative elections – agrees a little with Republicans, a bit with Democrats and a bit more with Libertarians. Many of his platforms, however, clearly aren’t supported by any well-known political party.

With looming budget shortfalls likely to dominate debate next year in the state Legislature, incumbent Democrat Rep. Timm Ormsby says all solutions should be “on the table.” His opponent, Republican Mike Novak, says one option should be removed from that table: tax increases.

Chris Bowen says he wants to join the state Legislature to help bring comfort and prosperity to the public. “Being an elected official is my dream, and I will be successful,” said Bowen, who filed for office as a Republican.

After almost two years of debate, Spokane leaders agreed on Monday to create a new police oversight system. The agreement, which was negotiated with the Spokane Police Guild, will give the ombudsman power to examine Police Department investigations into complaints of officer misconduct.

Full implementation of Spokane’s plan to expand community policing next year could fall victim to a worsening economy. A new, gloomier economic forecast has persuaded Mayor Mary Verner to consider delaying the hiring of 12 more police officers and six Fire Department employees in 2009 – at least for several months.

Full implementation of Spokane’s plan to expand community policing next year could fall victim to a worsening economy. A new, gloomier economic forecast has persuaded Mayor Mary Verner to consider delaying the hiring of 12 more police officers and six Fire Department employees in 2009 – at least for several months.

Open government advocates and public officials strongly agreed Thursday that the public deserves access to public documents and meetings. “It’s the duty of government to be as open and transparent as possible,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said.

Open government advocates say with fears of more economic hardships on the horizon across the country, citizens must be able to oversee the actions of government. “In these times, the need for transparency is great,” said Tim Ford, open government ombudsman for the state attorney general’s office. “It’s imperative that our public officials act in the best interests of the public. How are we going to know that if we don’t have transparency?”

Three years after city leaders gave the go-ahead, more than half of city of Spokane employees may soon be able to get medical and other benefits for domestic partners. The benefits would be allowed in a contract covering about 1,100 city workers that will be considered by Spokane City Council tonight.

When the son of a powerful, three-term Spokane County commissioner was hired by the county three years ago, officials touted his business experience. But now, as they face allegations of wrongdoing from former Commissioner Phil Harris’ son, Steve Harris, in complaints his union filed with a state employment commission following his layoff earlier this year, county attorneys have acknowledged that Phil Harris played politics with his son’s job before his failed 2006 re-election bid.