Mike Prager

Spokane City Attorney Mike Connelly said Monday he is resigning his position to take a newly created city attorney job in Spokane Valley, a job he described as "a great opportunity." His departure is the latest in a run of resignations under embattled Mayor Jim West, who finds himself in a deepening pool of personal, political and legal problems – and recurring crises in city finances.

Spokane city government is facing the prospect of closing a fire station, laying off police and reducing library hours in 2006 under a cash shortfall of nearly $6 million in the general tax fund. Potential cuts would follow deep slashes in service from 2004 to 2005. Top officials said Thursday there is no sign of any turnaround in future years, and they may need to ask voters for a tax increase during this fall's election.

Spokane Park Board members Thursday threw their support behind a proposal to create a year-round public market on the Post Street Bridge and adjacent park-owned land west of the bridge. The board voted unanimously to give "conceptual support," but members cautioned that the vote was not the same as a commitment to lease any park land to a developer who has proposed the idea.

Developers and residents of condominium apartments on West Riverside Avenue lost a bid to gain street parking outside their homes on Monday. The Spokane City Council voted 4-3 not to restore parking along the 2200 block of West Riverside adjacent to the upscale condominium project, which was built in 2002.

Spokane city officials are moving ahead this month with a plan to sell Joe Albi Stadium and 89 acres of surrounding property for as many as 700 potential new home sites. The sale could net the city as little as $389,000 once the property's debts and obligations are paid.

The fine for shooting off fireworks in the city of Spokane is going to increase from $103 to $513. The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 5-2 in favor of an ordinance raising the fine to stem the persistent illegal use of fireworks.

Spokane city officials are seeking new ways to get boarded-up houses either repaired and reoccupied, or demolished. The City Council is being asked to increase fees charged to owners of boarded-up homes and to tighten regulations regarding what homes can be kept in a boarded condition.

The Spokane City Council on Tuesday decided to ask for validation of signatures on a referendum petition seeking to roll back the granting of city employee benefits to domestic partners of unmarried employees. Opponents of the domestic partnership benefits ordinance in June submitted just over 6,500 signatures on petitions seeking to block enactment of the change, approved by the City Council on April 25 in a 5-2 vote. Council members Bob Apple and Brad Stark voted against domestic partner benefits.

The Spokane City Council wants a speedy appeal of a recall petition against Mayor Jim West in the wake of a sexual impropriety scandal that became public this spring. The council on Tuesday voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution urging parties to the appeal to seek a fast review by the Washington State Supreme Court.

The Spokane City Council has quietly taken steps to prepare a ballot measure that could give the council power to impeach the mayor. About a week ago, Council President Dennis Hession approved a contract hiring a private lawyer to research legal aspects of adding impeachment power to Spokane's City Charter.

The city of Spokane is proposing voluntary fees on new development as a way to raise money for offsite traffic improvements needed because of growth in the Spokane area. Developers could be given the option of paying the proposed transportation impact fees rather than having to face the prospect of more costly traffic mitigation charges. Spokane City Council members could consider the optional fees as early as July 11.

Spokane Mayor Jim West, ignoring calls from the business community to allow an immediate recall election, said Monday he will challenge a judge's ruling that there is sufficient evidence for a vote. West's decision to file an appeal puts the question of a recall election before the Washington state Supreme Court. The state's highest court is scheduled to take its summer recess beginning this weekend and not return to hear cases until Sept. 13.

The old Hillyard High School, which was converted to apartments in the 1940s, could soon become one of Spokane's newest listings on local, state and national historic registers. The Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on Friday recommended the northeast Spokane landmark for both the Washington Heritage Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination will be forwarded to the National Park Service for national register consideration.

Spokane Mayor Jim West's senior adviser is being moved to a new job as the mayor's interim economic development adviser to fill a position created when the current adviser announced he was going to work for private developer Marshall Chesrown. Cody George, whom West brought to City Hall when he won the mayor's office in 2003, will assume many of the duties held by Tom Reese, the outgoing economic development adviser.

Representatives of three Spokane neighborhood councils called for a moratorium on new home construction in northwest Spokane during a town hall meeting of the City Council on Monday. Craig Culbertson of the North Indian Trail Neighborhood Council said building permits and plat applications should be suspended while the city plans for better ways to handle heavy traffic and other problems caused by rapid residential growth.

The controversy surrounding Mayor Jim West could become a prominent issue in the race to replace outgoing Spokane City Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, one of West's toughest critics in the scandal. But other controversies are likely to arise as well, including water fluoridation, domestic partner benefits for city employees and the financial troubles of beleaguered Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co.

Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams wants a fivefold increase in the fine for shooting off fireworks to stem growing disobedience of the city's 13-year-old fireworks ban. But members of the Spokane City Council said Monday that while they're open to considering the proposal, they're unwilling to speed it through. They decided instead it will have to wait until after this year's Independence Day celebrations.

What does it mean when Mercury, Venus and Saturn align in the constellation Gemini? Pretty good astronomical viewing, according to local stargazers. The three planets will be seen within a 2.5-degree span of the west-northwestern sky on Friday evening and will remain in close proximity for more than a week.

Spokane Mayor Jim West on Monday outlined a tax-increase plan that he said could restore some police, fire and library services cut from the 2005 city budget. In announcing his plan for shoring up Spokane's ailing budget, the mayor appeared to be moving to regain his leadership role in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that first surfaced in May.

OLYMPIA – Six weeks after stunning public allegations of child molestation and sexual misconduct, Spokane Mayor Jim West remains in office, fighting a recall attempt and rebuffing repeated calls to resign. His lawyer says staying in office gives West the best platform to defend himself. Close acquaintances say the mayor – who's acknowledged "poor judgment" in his private life and bringing "shame" on the city – believes he can weather the scandal.

Petitioners seeking to stop domestic partnership benefits for Spokane city employees submitted 230 additional signatures on Friday, the last day referendum backers could add signatures to their petition. City Clerk Terri Pfister said the referendum now has 6,543 signatures on file, which if valid, would be more than enough to force the Spokane's new "domestic partnership benefits" ordinance onto the primary or general election ballots this year.