Developers Give Up On Mccaslin Commissioner Had Their Support In ‘96, But Ex-Police Chief May Be New Choice

Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin, who won the 1996 election with strong support from developers, likely will face their opposition in 2000.

And while McCaslin hasn’t officially announced that she’ll seek re-election, one fellow Republican emerging as a likely challenger is Alan Chertok, Spokane’s recently departed police chief.

Whether Chertok or some other challenger becomes the candidate of choice for the Spokane Homebuilders Association remains to be seen.

The association, which fights most new restrictions on growth, is “very disappointed” McCaslin has voted to limit development in some areas, said Executive Director Suzanne Knapp. The group often supports conservative candidates and causes.

The association endorsed McCaslin in 1996, but is interviewing potential challengers for next year’s election. The group plans to spend $50,000 on races for the positions currently filled by McCaslin and Commissioner John Roskelley, said Knapp.

The association also plans to “aggressively” push for expansion of the board from three commissioners to five, said Knapp. That idea was rejected by voters in 1991.

“We’re too large of a county to be represented by three people,” Knapp said.

Knapp said that while Homebuilders Association board members will talk to any potential candidate, they aren’t recruiting. Nor have they ruled out supporting McCaslin.

“I think people would want to review her with fresh eyes before any commitment is made,” said Knapp. “The board would give her just as much of a chance as any other candidate.”

There’s no chance the board will support Democrat Roskelley, Knapp said. The third commissioner, Phil Harris, had the association’s support when he was re-elected in 1998.

Despite Knapp’s contention that her association isn’t officially recruiting candidates, Valley businessman Clyde Haase said he was approached by several members asking that he run against McCaslin. Haase, a member of the county Planning Commission, declined.

“He’d be a good guy, but he isn’t willing to leave his business,” said Knapp, who contends it was Haase who contacted the Homebuilders Association, not the other way around. In addition to his apparent interest in a commission seat, Chertok also was named by sources as a potential candidate for Spokane’s newly created position of strong mayor.

“I am contemplating a return to public life in Spokane because it’s my city,” said Chertok, who moved to Spokane from Newport News, Va., in July 1998 to become police chief and resigned under pressure nine months later. “I haven’t quite decided what it will be.”

Several sources said Chertok is all but certain to run against McCaslin. Haase said he met Chertok at a Homebuilders Association meeting, where he confirmed his plans.

McCaslin also said that she’s heard from Republican Party insiders that Chertok plans a challenge.

“Let’s just be honest; the Homebuilders have been out there recruiting, recruiting, recruiting,” said McCaslin. “They may think it’s a secret (but) I hear about it out in the community.”

McCaslin, the former executive director of Associated Builders & Contractors Inc., said repeatedly during her 1996 campaign that the county needs balance when making land-use decisions.

Since then, she has voted to temporarily restrict growth in areas where flooding is severe and sometimes has supported more stringent requirements for new development.

One of McCaslin’s first GMA tasks as commissioner was working with her two colleagues to draw lines separating areas where urban growth is encouraged from those where it’s prohibited.

Developers were angry the “urban growth boundaries” weren’t larger to accommodate more growth.

“We provided very good statistics and she just set them aside,” said Knapp.

As part of her homework for drawing the boundaries, McCaslin flew in a private plane over the North Side, later saying she was “shocked” by the sprawl she saw. By comparison, Knapp has testified on behalf of the Homebuilders Association that there’s no such thing as sprawl.

Chertok acknowledged Friday that he knows little about the GMA, a state law designed to battle urban sprawl.

“I’m still a real political neophyte and learning what I can about my adopted city and state,” said Chertok. “Were I to go into an elected position, I’d have to learn a lot more than I do now.”

Chertok described himself as a Republican whose views would generally please the business community.

“I’m for growing Spokane because I want us to be able to compete with communities on the West Side,” he said.