Low Turnout Doesn’T Deter City Backers

Sat., Aug. 5, 2000

By Lorie Hutson lorieh@spokesman.com (509) 459-5446

Spokane Valley incorporation backers pledged to move ahead with the latest effort to form a Valley city this week despite a disappointing turnout for its first meeting.

Ed Mertens, chairman of the Community Action Committee, told a small group of people he feels good about the emerging effort to incorporate the Spokane Valley because two business groups have joined them to study the proposal - the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Spokane Valley Business Association.

The Valley Chamber has not taken a position on Valley incorporation during past attempts. Voters have rejected plans to incorporate the Valley five times since 1990.

Mertens said he called a Community Action Committee meeting to update residents on the new incorporation proposal and rejuvenate interest in the effort.

Nine people attended the meeting, but organizers said television coverage of the Republican National Convention probably kept people at home.

“We are going to proceed posthaste,” Mertens said, although he declined to say when they plan to file a notice of intention to incorporate with the Boundary Review Board for Spokane County.

The Valley city limits would likely follow the Spokane County urban growth boundaries, excluding the city of Millwood and the proposed city of Liberty Lake, Mertens said. He estimated the Valley city would have 85,000 to 90,000 residents. Also, backers will recommend that the new city have a council and city manager form of government, he said.

The group also discussed possible names for the new city including Spokane Valley, Lilac Valley, River City, Mt. Spokane City and Success.

“It can be changed, but we do have to have a name when we go to file,” Mertens said.

Backers said they want to move ahead with incorporation fairly soon because of concerns that parts of the Spokane Valley could be annexed to the city of Spokane.

“They feel they would be much enhanced if they could get this tax base out here,” Mertens said.

“I feel that self-determination by us out here is so key to our future,” he added.

The Community Action Committee did not set a date for its next meeting.

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