Strong-Mayor Proposal Moving Forward Last Week’s Absent Council Members Expected To Vote On Plan

The short-term fate of a proposal that calls for doing away with the city manager’s office rests with two vacationing Spokane City Council members.

Right now, two of the five in-town members favor forgoing a petition drive and putting the strong-mayor initiative directly in voters’ hands this fall.

“I’m for putting it on the ballot and letting the community decide,” said Councilman Jeff Colliton, who shares the sentiments of colleague Chris Anderson.

Mayor Jack Geraghty, and council members Phyllis Holmes and Mike Brewer want supporters to gather signatures.

“Getting signatures lets you know whether or not there’s interest,” Holmes said.

Council members Roberta Greene and Orville Barnes were on vacation last week, but they will be back for tonight’s meeting.

The council may decide to put the measure on next fall’s ballot or ask its chief promoter, attorney Steve Eugster, to collect 6,000 signatures of city voters.

Last week, the council, minus Greene and Barnes, approved the wording of Eugster’s petition that calls for changing the way city government works.

Under the plan, the city manager would disappear. The mayor would serve as the city’s top administrator and also could appoint a manager to oversee day-to-day business and department heads.

The mayor would earn at least $80,000 and not a penny less than the highest-paid city employee.

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

Also tonight, the council will decide whether to allow construction of a grocery store in the East Central neighborhood.

Judy Hart wants to build the 48,000-square-foot store between Third and Fourth avenues and Thor and Ray streets, and lease it to an as-yet-unnamed grocery chain.

The council delayed its decision on whether to allow the store Feb. 19 after two residents complained the neighborhood wasn’t told enough about the plan.

Two days later, the East Central Steering Committee sent a letter to the council saying nearly 74 percent of its members favored the plan.

A briefing for residents begins at 3 p.m. in the lower-level briefing room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls. The council’s briefing starts at 3:30 p.m.

The public forum begins at 6 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING The City Council meets today at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.