City Council chooses Allen

Michael Allen, a top administrator at Eastern Washington University, was named Monday night to an empty seat on the Spokane City Council.

Allen, who serves as director of corporate and foundation relations and was previously the EWU associate athletic director, was selected in a 4-2 vote to fill the opening created by Mary Verner’s election as mayor.

In a brief interview after his appointment, Allen said his goal was to “work collaboratively with everyone who’s there” and to keep Spokane moving forward. Asked about his top priority on taking office, he replied: “A tremendous amount of reading.”

Allen, who has a master’s in business administration, was selected from 26 applicants for the opening and was one of eight finalists interviewed Friday by council members. In his interview, Allen stressed the need for balanced economic development.

“I’m a firm believer in economic development tempered in this day and age by environmental concerns,” he said.

His appointment sparked some controversy on the council, which took it up at the end of a long meeting that included the adoption of the 2008 budget. Council President Joe Shogan and Councilman Bob Apple voted against the appointment. Apple said afterward he thought another applicant, whom he didn’t name, might have been better, but added he will “look forward to working with” Allen and give the new council member the chance to prove him wrong.

Outgoing Councilman Brad Stark voted for Allen’s appointment, although he said earlier this month that he would not cast a vote, hoping that the selection would be put off until 2008 when his replacement, Richard Rush, would be in office. Monday he said he was “forced to vote” because the appointment was not being put off, and that would mean the south Spokane district would have no say in selecting a council member who would represent it for the next two years.

He blamed Shogan for the failure to delay the vote, but Shogan replied that it was Stark going back on an unequivocal statement he’d made regarding the process.

“You’re an adult. You act on your own,” Shogan said.