Munson files for re-election to Valley City Council seat

Spokane Valley’s deputy mayor filed for re-election Monday and said he wants to continue his council duties, which he described as challenging but enjoyable.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun in my life,” Richard Munson said.

All seven council seats are up for election in November, and six of the incumbents have filed for re-election. Munson holds position five.

Elected to the city’s first council in 2002, Munson became deputy mayor last November. He has been involved in civic organizations and local politics since he moved to the Valley in 1977, he said.

“The biggest thing is knowing you are making a difference,” he said.

Munson, 62, holds degrees in political science and business management from San Jose State University and the University of Arkansas.

He retired from the Air Force in 1993 as a lieutenant colonel after a 27-year career. He was also a stockbroker for Piper Jaffrey and an adjunct economics professor at Spokane Community College.

Since its incorporation, Munson said, the new city has given residents more say in state and regional issues. Political discussions heard in the Valley aren’t just directed at the state of the country or Washington anymore, he said.

“Now they’re more willing to talk about the state of Sprague Avenue.”

Munson is on the Spokane Transit Authority Board and is the chairman of a county committee on the Growth Management Act. He has also served on boards dealing with wastewater.

Revitalizing Sprague Avenue, finding a solution to the city’s wastewater problems and balancing neighborhood needs with growth are challenges he said he has the skills to handle as a councilman.

“I think I’ve proven I know how to listen,” he said.