Baker holds slight lead in assessor’s race

In the tight, contentious and still undecided race for county assessor, Spokane City Councilman Brad Stark ran best outside of his home city, earning victories in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Deer Park and other small towns.

Incumbent Assessor Ralph Baker is maintaining his small lead because of a strong showing in the city of Spokane, especially in the northern part of the city, where many residents were angered by Stark’s attempt to sell Joe Albi Stadium in 2005.

The candidates essentially tied in the unincorporated part of the county.

On Wednesday, Baker increased his minuscule lead by almost 200 votes to 292, a substantial amount considering that the elections office only counted an extra 2,300 votes in the race.

Still, the county auditor’s office is planning for a recount. State law would require the action if the margin of victory is less than half a percentage point. After Wednesday’s count, the margin was 0.86 percent. Votes will be counted until the election is certified on Sept. 29.

“We’re talking about a minimum number of ballots,” said Paul Brandt, Spokane County elections manager. “It could be back and forth every day until certification.”

Baker’s widening lead could indicate that the county Republican Party leadership’s late decision to disavow Stark’s candidacy had the desired effect on late voters.

Stark said he is not concerned about losing to Baker in Spokane.

“Our message has always been countywide,” said Stark, speaking from Mississippi where he went Wednesday with a Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church group that is performing hurricane volunteer work. “Where that message would resonate, I didn’t know.”

Paul Hyndman, vice president of Friends of Joe Albi Stadium, said many North Spokane residents remember Stark as the councilman who tried to sell the stadium.

“I think it had a large effect on his support in North Spokane because North Spokane is very supportive of keeping Joe Albi Stadium,” said Hyndman, who declined to say how he voted. He said his organization does not endorse candidates.

Baker lost in several areas that received notice from his office in June of large property value increases. That includes Liberty Lake, the Newman Lake area and Deer Park – the Spokane County town that experienced the largest average property value increase at nearly 30 percent. In Deer Park, Stark beat Baker with 53 percent of the vote.

Debra Portch, who moved into a home in Valleyford in 2004, got notice this summer of a double-digit property value rise. She said she has not been able to figure out how the increase was justified. She voted for Stark.

“It may not be fair to the present assessor, but I don’t know how else to get through to people that this is not OK,” Portch said.

Baker said he thought valuations might impact some votes, but he’s confident that his office followed the law for revaluing properties.

“It would not have been right to change values because I’m up for election,” Baker said. “Sometimes people will shoot the messenger.”

Both candidates have accused each other of running a dirty campaign, and the bad feelings don’t appear to have changed now that they are in a waiting game.

Stark declined to say if he would endorse Baker. Baker said he has not decided if he would back Stark.

The winner will face Democrat Judy Personett in the November election.