Valley Chamber Of Two Minds On Incorporation Survey Shows Members Living Inside Boundaries Slightly Favor Creation Of New City, While Those Outside Oppose

Thu., May 4, 1995

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

The membership of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce is split over the question of incorporation, an informal survey shows.

Those members who live within the boundaries of the proposed city of Spokane Valley tend to support the issue, the survey found, while those who live outside are overwhelmingly against it.

About 38 percent of the 215 people answering the poll said they live inside the proposed boundaries.

Preliminary results of the mail-in questionnaire were released Tuesday.

Nearly 600 businesses and organizations belong to the Valley chamber, including Citizens for Valley Incorporation, the group leading the effort to incorporate the Valley.

The chamber’s survey found that:

Thirty-three percent of all respondents favored incorporation, 56 percent were against it and 11 percent were undecided.

Fifty-two percent of the members living inside the city supported forming a city. That number jumped to 56 percent for members who live and own businesses inside the boundaries.

Twenty-six percent of those living outside the boundaries said they support the effort.

Executive director Ray Murphy said the chamber conducted the survey to get a feel for the membership’s opinion toward incorporation, which will be voted on by citizens May 16.

“We’re releasing the results for the information of the membership and the community,” Murphy said.

The chamber does not plan to use the survey to formulate a position on the issue, he added.

“It’s so divisive to the membership,” Murphy said. “I think we’re going to leave it to the personal voting right of everybody once they’re behind that curtain in the voting booth, at least at this point.”

The chamber rode the fence on incorporation in 1990 and 1994, when voters shot down the proposal.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.