Mayor defends holding study

Mayor Dennis Hession has declined to release an early version of a $260,000 independent efficiency study to the public or City Council because, he said, it was found to have errors that needed correcting.

Assistant City Attorney Pat Dalton cited an exemption in state public records law that allows the city to maintain confidentiality of “preliminary drafts.”

On Friday, Hession said, “It’s important when we discuss information of this kind that it’s accurate,” and that the city’s independent consultant also wants errors fixed before the report goes public. Misinformation could create misunderstandings, he said.

City Council members have been criticizing the mayor for withholding the draft.

Councilman Al French on Friday said the public is going to be suspicious that the mayor is “washing” the document to take out parts that he or his staffers don’t like.

“If the report has flaws in it, acknowledge it has flaws and let the public see it,” said French, who is widely considered a possible contender for mayor in this year’s city election.

But Hession said having flaws risks having faulty conclusions.

Matrix Consulting Group, of Palo Alto, Calif., was selected from 12 firms and hired last August to conduct an efficiency and effectiveness study – at a cost of $260,000 – in an effort to narrow expected budget problems in coming years.

Council members said they had hoped for the report late last year to guide their 2007 budget writing, but Hession said earlier this week the report may not be made public for two more weeks or longer.

The report, at about 450 pages, is supposed to provide a road map to city officials who want to cut costs. Fire and police management and accounting are among areas the consultant reportedly was looking at, council members have said.

Chief Financial Officer Gavin Cooley, who has been working with Matrix consultants, said the report will go into fine detail on the workings of city government and make a large number of recommendations, none of which will be shocking.

The consultant, which has a resume of working with local governments, was expected to compare city government in Spokane with what are seen as “best practices” elsewhere.

French said that by withholding the report, openness is being sacrificed and raises the question, “Is it (the report) going to tell us what the mayor wants to tell us?”

Councilman Bob Apple also complained about the lack of disclosure. “I’m sure there are things in it he (Hession) doesn’t like.”

Councilman Brad Stark said, “It’s an outrage. It’s unacceptable that this mayor believes that a report that cost the city $260,000 should not be shared with the public or council members.”

Hession said he pushed for the report shortly after being appointed mayor a year ago, and does not have a vested stake in any of its critiques.

Despite the criticism coming from council members, Hession said he has been an advocate of open government.