Costs, Services Worry City Residents

Combining Spokane’s city and county services may make sense to some people. But Tom Bernard is sure he’s opposed to combining the two biggest departments, the city police and the county sheriff’s office.

“We don’t have enough police protection right now,” said Bernard, president of the Community Oriented Policing Station, Haven Street Association.

Bernard spends most of his days at the neighborhood police station in the East Central neighborhood, slightly more than a mile inside the Spokane city boundary that would disappear on Nov. 7 if a new city-county charter is approved. Community-oriented policing is working in the neighborhood, and he’s leery of anything that would change that.

“It could take months for (police officers and deputies) to start working together as a team,” he said. “We could possibly get lost in the shuffle.”

Under consolidation, Spokane would have a new urban boundary that likely would include the city and the most populated areas of the Spokane Valley. The goal is to provide city-style services within that boundary.

City residents currently enjoy the widest range of government services in the county, and supporters of the charter are assuring them those services would not decline as a result of the merger.

Instead, the utility tax now paid only by city residents would be spread throughout the urban area. That money would pay for more police, better streets and other improvements, supporters say.

If that doesn’t happen, however, the new government would face two choices - cut services or increase taxes for all residents, including those in the former city.

Across town at another COPS station, Paul Soper said he wasn’t worried about a decline in police services. He suspects it may cost more, but thinks consolidating some offices makes sense.

“I’m tired of all the hassles. Maybe this would remove some of those jurisdictional lines,” he said.

What he really would like - and the charter would give him - is a chance to elect a representative by district.

“If you have an election where people are selected by district, those people are accountable,” Soper said. “You need someone who you can go to and say, ‘Hey Joe Blow, when you ran for election, you promised to take care of this.”’

The charter would do away with the city’s 35-year-old system of a mayor and council, and the century-old county board of commissioners and elected administrators that city residents also help elect.

Spokane city residents would trade the seven city officials they elect jointly and the 10 elected county officials they share with the rest of the county for just three ballot choices. Two would be countywide positions: a full-time executive and a prosecuting attorney.

One would be a district council member they would share with about 30,000 other residents.

Six of 13 council districts would be inside what is now the city, and two would be a combination of what is now city and nearby unincorporated areas. The other five districts would cover suburban and rural areas.

As the county grows, the districts could change. If growth in the Valley outpaces growth on the South Hill, for instance, the council districts would shift east.

The charter mandates that the new consolidated government fund neighborhood associations. The council may, but isn’t required to, give the associations decision-making authority.

“I think there’s some real good things about the charter, but I don’t think it’s going to save any money,” said Soper, a retired social worker and West Central neighborhood volunteer. “That doesn’t mean it’s bad. But I think they’re trying to sell it the wrong way.”

But saving money - or at least not costing significantly more money - is on many voters’ minds as they talk about the charter change. If they talk at all.

“What’s the benefits for us as a small business. Is it going to cost us more?” wondered Kirk Payne, general manager of Aspen Sound on North Division who is undecided on the charter and admits he hasn’t had time to study it. “I always think if you can streamline government, there’s a benefit.”

Across North Division from Payne’s store are businesses in the county. But he doesn’t think there’s much difference on either side of that imaginary border that divides the busy arterial north of Francis Avenue.

A few doors down from Aspen Sound, Lance Shew, manager of Pawn One pawn shop, also wondered about costs. He’s all for streamlining government, and thinks a more efficient government could help the local economy.

“It’s a good concept,” Shew said. “But I want to see the figures.”

Figuring the change in the number of officeholders is easy, because it is spelled out in the charter. Figuring the change in the cost of government is more difficult, because it depends on so many decisions those unknown future officeholders would make if the charter passes.

Some adjustments would be made to services that have developed differently on either side of the city border.

The city and county libraries would be merged under the charter. But county residents would be responsible for the cost of outfitting their library district to match the bells and whistles of the city system.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: COMING UP: A look at consolidation from perspectives of rural residents (Monday) and small town residents (Tuesday).

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Jim Camden and Dan Hansen Staff writers Staff writer Dan Hansen contributed to this report.