City’s Hopes May Go Unfulfilled

Spokane’s legislative wish list may go unfilled because of time constraints and a tax-cutting state Legislature, lawmakers say.

City leaders are asking the state for $1 million to study the idea of doubling the Spokane Convention Center downtown and $1.5 million to plan expansion of Cheney Cowles Museum. They also want lawmakers to hold the line or improve social services.

“Our big priority is the expansion of the Convention Center,” said Spokane Mayor Jack Geraghty. “Spokane is evolving into a major convention hub but needs to improve its facilities to remain competitive.”

Geraghty is cautious about the city’s requests.

“This is supposedly a short session, and we don’t expect a lot from it,” the mayor said.

County Commissioner Steve Hasson said the county supports the city’s goals and has some of its own. The county, however, hasn’t sent a specific list to legislators.

Like the city, the county wants continued support of social services and an end to unfunded programs mandated by state government.

County officials also are worried that federal cuts in social services funds will stick local government with the bills for existing programs.

Area legislators said it’s unlikely that Spokane will get everything it’s asking for in this session.

“It’s going to be tough to get it all in there,” said Rep. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. “Items that aren’t already in the budget have a rough time in a short session.”

Brown said House Republicans have pledged to hold the line on the $17.6 billion budget, and both sides of the aisle are concerned about federal budget cuts.

“If they don’t want to expand the general fund, there won’t be any more money in the capital budget for projects like the Convention Center,” she said.

Rep. Jean Silver, R-Spokane, said competition for money is fierce.

“We might maneuver some of this, but I would be surprised if (the city) got all of this,” Silver said.

One project Silver believes will be approved is the Cheney Cowles Museum planning. The museum proposal will be considered Thursday by the House Capital Budget Committee.

“We understand that we have to do something or we stand to lose a fabulous collection of Indian artifacts,” she said.

But Silver said museum spending, like the $4.5 million granted over three years to help build the Washington State Historical Society Museum in Tacoma, has to be appropriately timed. “At the time we approved the museum project in Tacoma (in 1986), we had huge amounts of money that had to be spent somewhere,” she said.

The last big state expenditure in Spokane was $3.3 million last year to expand the Riverpoint Higher Education Park. The campus is seeking more money for expansion again this year.

Meanwhile, other Washington cities are asking for very little this session.

Randy Lewis, governmental relations officer for Tacoma, said his city doesn’t think this is a good year to request much from the state.

“With the short session and gubernatorial politics, we’re just hoping to get out of the session unscathed,” Lewis said.

, DataTimes