West recall supporters labor over holiday

“Dude, I sell chicken,” said a smoky food worker in Riverfront Park, when asked Monday where the booth was for those gathering petition signatures to oust Spokane Mayor Jim West. “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t voted in five years.”

While not everyone attending the final day of Pig Out in the Park was keen on the issue, there were supporters lining up this week to sign their names to the petitions seeking a public vote to recall West.

On Saturday, West supporters held their own rally on Division Street at the petition drive headquarters. Organizers could not be reached for comment Monday.

As of Monday – the 12th day of signature-gathering – recall organizers were telling their volunteers to bring in their sheets for an informal tally to see if they’re reached their goal of 17,000 signatures.

Recall supporters need 12,567 valid signatures from registered city voters to get the proposal on a ballot. As a rule, petition drives must get up to 30 percent more signatures than needed because some signers either aren’t registered or don’t live in the area covered by the proposal.

They want to be sure they’ve got the numbers before turning them in, said Rita Amunrud, a volunteer helping the drive started by Shannon Sullivan.

Amunrud said Monday that volunteers at the park had received hundreds of comments from people who said they wish they could sign, but they lived out of the area – some as far away as Canada.

So volunteers started an “I wish I could sign,” petition that had collected almost 1,000 signatures over the long weekend. Among those who signed that unofficial petition were visitors from San Diego, Pullman and Idaho.

Volunteers also started gathering signatures of people who want to assure that the city of Spokane keeps Joe Albi Stadium. The City Council recently voted 6-1 to kill a West proposal to sell the property to save money.

“Everyone on the fence (about the mayoral recall petition) has been pushed over by the Joe Albi deal,” Amunrud said.

Under state law, recall supporters have 180 days to collect signatures. But they can’t wait nearly that long if they hope to put the issue on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton has said it’s unlikely the signatures can be verified before Sept. 23, the deadline for putting issues on that ballot. The law requires a five-day waiting period while everyone involved in the recall receives official notification before verification can start, and elections staff will be tied up with the Sept. 20 primary for part of the month.