West likely factor in election

The controversy surrounding Mayor Jim West could become a prominent issue in the race to replace outgoing Spokane City Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, one of West’s toughest critics in the scandal.

But other controversies are likely to arise as well, including water fluoridation, domestic partner benefits for city employees and the financial troubles of beleaguered Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co.

Two candidates to replace Rodgers this fall have prominent ties to Metropolitan, the $2.7 billion Spokane-based conglomerate that entered bankruptcy in 2004.

Rodgers, who represents District 3 in northwest Spokane, is nearing the end of her second term and is not eligible to run again under the city’s term-limits law.

On Tuesday, Judith Gilmore, a West Central community activist, announced she is seeking Rodgers’ seat on a platform of making sure neighborhoods have a voice in upcoming development decisions. Gilmore is the former community relations director for a nonprofit set up by Metropolitan.

She is expected to face former City Councilman Steve Corker, who stepped down from the Metropolitan board last year, and Joyce McNamee, a health care advocate who favors adding fluoride to Spokane water.

Gilmore said in an interview Wednesday she might not have voted for the resolution calling for West’s resignation, a resolution sponsored by Rodgers that received unanimous approval by the council on May 31. Gilmore doesn’t believe she has enough information to support calling for West’s resignation, although council members may have information that the public doesn’t, she said.

But Gilmore thinks the mayor should face a recall election this fall. West should not hold up the recall by appealing a recent court ruling giving recall petitioners a go-ahead to collect signatures, she said. “I think he should respect the process and let it go forward,” she said.

Corker, who lost to West in the mayoral primary in 2003, said Wednesday he also plans to run, and he believes West should resign. Corker said West’s admitted relationship with an 18-year-old man is “just inappropriate behavior, period.”

“I just don’t think he’s capable of exerting the leadership and influence he once did,” Corker said.

West has acknowledged having relationships with young men and visiting a gay chat room to make personal contacts. He has denied as “flat lies” allegations that he sexually molested two boys in the 1970s when he was a deputy sheriff and Boy Scout leader.

Calls for West’s resignation have come from business and political leaders, a national gay rights organization and the council.

Corker’s and Gilmore’s former boss has been a major contributor to past campaigns, including Corker’s 1999 race for City Council.

Former Metropolitan CEO C. Paul Sandifur Jr. put his financial muscle behind candidates who opposed the city’s controversial involvement in the River Park Square redevelopment in the late 1990s.

Corker, Rodgers and former Councilman Steve Eugster received substantial contributions from Sandifur-backed political action committees, and all three questioned city participation in River Park Square, which is owned by real estate affiliates of Cowles Publishing Co., the owner of The Spokesman-Review.

In February 2004, Corker resigned his seat on the board of Metropolitan during the pending bankruptcy reorganization.

Corker is engaged to marry and lives with Helen Sandifur, who divorced Sandifur Jr. in 2004. A separation agreement and property settlement were signed by the couple in 2002.

During an interview Wednesday, Corker said Helen Sandifur had divorced in 2001. He and Helen Sandifur occupy a residence on North Cedar Road where Corker said he has lived for about two years.

Both Sandifurs could face a legal attempt under the bankruptcy to recoup $6.7 million in special stock redemptions, dividends and salaries paid to the Sandifurs prior to the bankruptcy.

Gilmore has worked for diverse groups, including Walk in the Wild Zoo and the National Abortion Rights Action League. About her work at Metropolitan, she said, “I was let go like hundreds of other employees” and lost several thousand dollars worth of personal time off she had earned.

“I knew nothing about investments,” she said. “I sure didn’t know what the financial offices were doing.”

McNamee, who has submitted paperwork with the state Public Disclosure Commission indicating her plans to run, was not available for an interview Wednesday. Gilmore and Corker have submitted paperwork as well.

In the city’s two other council districts, incumbents Al French, of northeast Spokane, and Mary Verner, of the south side, are expected to seek re-election.

Verner on Wednesday said she expects to formally announce her candidacy next week. She said there is a lot to accomplish in a four-year term. She was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of Dennis Hession, who moved from a regular council seat to council president at the start of 2004.

Verner said social services, traffic, land use, economic development and city services will occupy her attention because those are the issues on voters’ minds on the South Side.

She said the West controversy “will be an issue, but I don’t think it will be the dominant issue.”

However, it caused her to delay her candidacy announcement. “We deferred for a little while considering breaking events,” Verner said.

French last spring said he was ready to announce for re-election, but also has delayed a formal announcement.

Another issue is the anticipated referendum measure over the council-approved plan to extend city benefits to unmarried partners of city employees. A recent review of e-mail messages to West revealed scores of letters opposing the measure. A petition submitted by opponents is scheduled to go before the council July 5.

Penny Lancaster, an activist on conservative social issues, said there is currently an effort to seek candidates who endorse those conservative values.

Gilmore said a key issue in the campaign will likely be shaping economic development in a way that increases city revenues while listening to neighborhoods most affected by the changes.

“I know that growth is coming to Spokane. I want to make sure neighborhood groups don’t lose their voice in that development,” she said.

Corker said he believes the city needs to find ways to restore cuts to city services that began late in 2004 and deepened in the 2005 budget. More than 150 city positions were eliminated, including about 75 police and fire officers.

“There is nothing we can do about the mayor,” Corker said.