Crow wants to boost grants

Tue., Jan. 23, 2007

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

Officials tried to learn leak's source

» Top City Hall officials wrangled last week over who leaked a $260,000 efficiency report to The Spokesman-Review.

» The finger-pointing began last Wednesday after the newspaper posted on its Web site a Jan. 9 draft of the Matrix Consulting Group's "Efficiency and Effectiveness" study commissioned by Mayor Dennis Hession.

» Hession had kept the study from the public for two weeks, circulating it only to department heads and City Council members who agreed to secrecy pledges. It calls for major City Hall reforms – including better tracking of purchases and job performance, and elimination of nearly 100 jobs.

» On Thursday, the day after the newspaper posted the report on its Web page, the council's chief executive assistant called the newsroom. Mary Franklin asked for the first two pages of the leaked study draft to be faxed to City Hall. Spokesman-Review editors declined the request.

» The council wanted the information because Hession's office suspected the leak came from a council member, said City Councilman Bob Apple, who insists no one on the council leaked the document.

» Hession's staff hasn't continued an inquiry into the leaked document, said City Hall spokeswoman Marlene Feist.

» "We've moved on. The mayor's office hasn't been pursuing that at all," Feist said.

Spokane City Councilman Rob Crow says the city needs to do more to help the poor, the young and the elderly.

Crow is calling for a $218,000 increase in the city’s program that provides grants to agencies that help people in need.

His plan would use money from the city’s 2006 year-end revenue surplus.

He said Monday that even if it adds $218,000, the city would still spend less than he considers adequate for human services.

The city should spend 1 percent of its $135 million general fund on the annual grant program, he said. His proposed addition would bring 2007 funding up to the $990,000 spent in 2006 for health care, youth and senior programs, homeless shelters and other social services.

“I’d like to see us not take a step backwards,” Crow said.

He’s going to need support from at least four other council members to make the change through an emergency budget ordinance. The ordinance is up for consideration Monday.

Crow said he would be willing to accept a smaller figure.

Council President Joe Shogan and Councilwoman Mary Verner said they want to consider other year-end obligations and the strength of the city’s ending fund balance before deciding how to vote on Crow’s proposal.

Mayor Dennis Hession said he does not necessarily favor taking money out of the surplus to pay for more human services. He said he wants to hold back on additional spending in anticipation of cash shortages in 2008, when a voter-approved, two-year increase in property taxes will expire.

Last year, the council used a smaller cash carry-over from 2005 to increase the budget for human services agencies by $223,000.

The city’s Human Services Advisory Board has submitted a list of recommended grants for 2007, but the funding does not include any additional spending proposed by Crow.

More than $2 million in grant requests were submitted by agencies. Grants were recommended by the board to 26 programs, including the House of Charity, Second Harvest Food Bank, Crosswalk youth shelter, Spokane Mental Health shelter and Community Health Association of Spokane.

Crow did not specify how any additional money would be allocated.

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