DeVleming will run for Valley City Council again

Mike DeVleming, a Spokane Valley City Council member and former mayor, announced he will run for office again.

“It was obviously a lot of thought, a lot of discussion with my family, and a lot of discussion with my work,” he said. “It just boils down to ‘the job’s not done.’ “

All seven council positions will be open this November when voters will select the second City Council for Spokane Valley since it incorporated in 2003. The four candidates with the most votes will receive four-year terms. The remaining three will be elected for two years in order to stagger the council terms in coming years.

DeVleming is the customer service director for Vera Water and Power where he has worked since 1989.

In a second term, he said, he wants to see the completion of the city’s comprehensive plan. His other goals include developing a strong customer service program and a sound financial base for the city.

“Experience is critical, you already see what you get,” he said of his qualifications for the office.

DeVleming is the first to announce a candidacy for council position No. 3. Other council hopefuls are expected to announce their campaigns when official filing for the race takes place July 11 to July 29. Council positions pay $400 per month, although a measure on November’s ballot could more than double that.

DeVleming was the first mayor of the city, from 2002 to 2004. Last fall he decided not to seek reappointment and Diana Wilhite was chosen to succeed him.

While he was mayor, the state’s Public Disclosure Commission fined him $50 for using a city computer to send about a dozen e-mails related to a Republican fund-raiser. He did not contest the fine and said he wasn’t aware the e-mails were illegal.