Activist seeking council position

The first of several entries into the races for Spokane City Council was made official Thursday.

Donna McKereghan, a member of the state Legislative Ethics Board, is challenging Bob Apple for his seat representing northeast Spokane.

McKereghan, 53, is the former Logan Neighborhood Council chairwoman and is a former philosophy teacher at Spokane Community College and Eastern Washington University.

Standing in front of an old iron bridge over the Spokane River, McKereghan said she would work to make city government more open and responsive and repair city relations with neighborhoods, businesses, developers, the media and other governments.

McKereghan worked with Councilman Al French in writing the city’s ethics ordinance that was approved by council in 2006.

“My commitment is to ethics in government,” she said.

Apple, 50, confirmed Thursday that he will run for a second term. He referred to himself as a “fighter of taxes” and said the City Council has improved the city’s financial picture during his tenure.

Among goals for a new term, Apple said he hopes to promote an expansion of programs aimed at helping people rehabilitate their homes, find permanent funding for street projects and help solve the city’s animal control dilemma.

The city’s contract with SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is scheduled to end in three months. The City Council and mayor are debating if the city should contract with the county, create its own program or find some other agency.

McKereghan said she still is studying the issue but is leaning toward pairing up with the county’s animal control service.

“The solution to a lot of our problems is regional government,” she said.

Apple, however, said the cost of going with the county may not be reasonable.

“You can’t just pay whatever bill they want and just walk away,” he said.

Three of the city’s six city council seats – one from each district – are up for election this year. The primary is Aug. 21.

McKereghan said she won’t make any endorsements of any mayoral candidates. Earlier this year, however, she filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission that accuses Mayor Dennis Hession of not filing his campaign contribution reports on time.

Apple said he doesn’t plan to endorse a mayoral candidate, at least until after the primary.