Pig Out In Park Coordinator Runs For County Commissioner Bill Burke Says Promoting Jobs, Managing Growth Top Priorities
The organizer of one of Spokane’s most popular events has declared his candidacy for county commissioner.
Bill Burke, coordinator of the annual Pig Out in the Park food festival, will run as a Democrat for the seat held by Republican Kate McCaslin, who plans to seek re-election.
Burke, a 34-year resident of the Spokane area, said Friday that improving the community’s attitude and self-image would be one of his top priorities if he’s elected.
“We have so many opportunities here, and we just don’t see it,” said Burke, 48. “We don’t think like winners. We live in the last holdout in North America. It’s wonderful here. We need some cheerleaders.”
Such thinking also needs to be applied to the Spokane-area economy, said Burke, who owns a marketing and promotions company and says he is a nationally recognized expert on community revitalization.
He previously worked for the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce.
“People are always talking about economic development,” he said. “I believe in that, but I also think we need to do what I call economic restructuring.”
That includes retaining businesses already in the area and helping them to grow and be successful, Burke said. That will improve the overall business climate and make the area more attractive to companies looking for a place to start up. Good-paying jobs will follow, he said.
“If a candidate isn’t saying `jobs’ every other word, it’s a disservice to the community,” Burke said.
Managing new development responsibly is an important part of making the Spokane area attractive to prospective businesses, he said. Development should be allowed, but not at the price of the environment or recreational opportunities that make the county special, Burke said.
“I think we can have growth and protect that, too,” he said. “The state Growth Management Act contains a lot of good stuff in it that we can use here. The whole thing about growth management is the second word: management.”
Maximizing county resources and ensuring that public safety programs are adequately funded are top issues, he said.
Burke also said he would use the commissioners’ office as a platform to encourage more public participation in government.
“If you’re between 18 and 40 in Spokane, it’s like you’re invisible,” he said. “We need to get those people involved. Everywhere I go, I’ll be telling people to register to vote and get involved.”
Burke himself has served on the Spokane Regional Health District Food Advisory Board and the Spokane Entertainment, Arts and Convention Advisory Board.
The graduate of Eastern Washington University has been married for 26 years. He and his wife have a teenage son.