Hession ready as acting mayor

The recall of Spokane Mayor Jim West is likely to create weeks, if not months, of political jockeying for leadership of Washington’s second-largest city.

But one thing seemed certain from the ballots counted Tuesday night.

Council President Dennis Hession will take over as acting mayor once the recall election is certified by the Spokane County Auditor’s Office on Dec. 16.

A longtime business attorney and former Spokane Park Board member, Hession is widely viewed as a cautious deliberator not given to quick, unstudied decisions. He promised during an interview on Monday to maintain West’s administrative staffing for the time being. He would have to leave his law practice and become a full-time mayor under the City Charter.

Hession said West’s departure will bring closure to an unrelenting controversy that has virtually consumed the city and drawn negative national media attention since the allegations of misconduct and abuse of power surfaced in May.

“It’s a pall over the city,” Hession said. “We need to move on.”

Several council members have said they are supporting Hession’s apparent bid to become interim mayor, largely because of his experience on the council, but also because he has shown great skill at being fair.

“I think Dennis would make a good mayor,” said Councilman Joe Shogan, who currently serves as council president pro tem and is expected to take the gavel at council meetings if and when Hession moves to the mayor’s office.

Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, West’s harshest critic on the council, said she is supporting Hession as well.

Rodgers’ support is significant because she has been mentioned frequently as a possible replacement for West. But Rodgers has consistently denied that she wants the job. She has said she doesn’t think her style of politics – that of populist watchdog and budget-cutting hawk – would be a good match for the job of mayor.

The City Charter calls on the council president to move into the mayor’s office if the mayor is removed from office, but the charter also gives the council the power to appoint a replacement either from the existing council or community at large.

If Hession is appointed to serve the remainder of West’s term, as expected, the council would select a replacement as council president.

Hession said he has told other council members he is willing to leave his law practice and serve as mayor until the next mayoral election in November 2007. He said Tuesday he would assemble a transition committee to assist in the change.

If Rodgers were to become mayor, she could be expected to execute a wholesale shakeup of West’s administrative staff. Earlier this week, she proposed cutting three staff positions under the mayor, an assistant fire chief and the city’s economic development adviser.

Rita Amunrud, a key organizer in the recall, said Rodgers would make the best replacement for West. “She has shown her integrity,” Amunrud said. “We want somebody in there we can trust.”

Gary Gow, a retired city police officer and a member of the city’s Police Pension Board, said that West has failed to improve accountability within city management ranks. “I think there needs to be a lot of cleaning out at City Hall,” he said.

It appears that nothing short of a groundswell of support would change Rodgers’ decision to leave City Hall when her term expires this month. Hours before the recall votes were counted on Tuesday, Rodgers signed up for her city retirement benefits. Rodgers is leaving the City Council at the end of this month because of a two-term limit on council members. She is being replaced by Councilwoman-elect Nancy McLaughlin.

Shogan said he would be willing to serve as council president, but he would need votes from four council members, including himself, to win appointment to that job.

Councilman Al French, who recently won a second term on the council from northeast Spokane, is also a candidate for the appointment to council president. He has support of at least two other council members, enough to block Shogan from getting the appointment, but not enough votes to gain the appointment himself.

French on Monday proposed creation of a new ethics commission to monitor performance of elected officials, appointees to board and commissions and non-union management employees. He said the West scandal has created the “opportune time” to consider ethical standards in city government.

Councilman Bob Apple acknowledged that Hession is likely to become mayor even though he believes the council should open the job to applications and force Hession to articulate his goals and vision for the city.

“I believe more than likely he’s going to be mayor,” Apple said of Hession.