Petition Before Council To Change To Strong Mayor

(From For the Record, Thursday, February 29, 1996:) Supporters of an initiative to do away with the Spokane city manager’s office may not have to gather signatures to put the plan on the ballot. The City Council is expected to vote next Monday to send the proposal directly to voters. That was unclear in stories published Monday and Tuesday.

A petition initiative that calls for tossing out the city manager in favor of a mayor who serves as the city’s top administrator comes before the Spokane City Council tonight.

Attorney Steve Eugster is pushing the proposed charter amendment which would change the way city government works.

The initiative allows the mayor to appoint an administrator to oversee day-to-day business. The mayor would appoint department heads.

A seven-member council would include five members elected by district and two elected atlarge. The mayor could veto council decisions, but the council could override vetoes with five votes.

Council members plan to take testimony on the petition’s wording tonight.

If it’s approved, Eugster can begin gathering signatures. He’ll need about 6,000 to get the measure before voters this fall - or 2,000 if he waits until fall 1997.

Also tonight, the council will hear a progress report from the Downtown Live/Work Consortium.

A year ago, the committee began looking at ways to encourage housing downtown, said Ralph Busch of the Arts Commission.

Since then, the group has examined such things as financing, building codes and parking, looking for obstacles to downtown redevelopment, he said.

A briefing for residents will begin at 3 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The council’s briefing will begin at 3:30 p.m., the public forum at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 6:30 p.m.

, DataTimes