Council votes to replace Verner within weeks

Sometime in the coming weeks the Spokane City Council will select a replacement for the council seat previous held by new Mayor Mary Verner.

And because of action taken this week, lame-duck Councilman Brad Stark likely will help make that selection, rather than newly elected Richard Rush.

Stark said the debate about the timing of a selection has been driven in large part by whether he or Rush would have a say.

“For some, it’s the ultimate concern,” said Stark, who abstained from voting on the process change. “A lot of my supporters want me to vote on it, and a lot of Richard’s supporters want Richard to vote on it.”

Councilman Al French introduced the measure at Monday’s council meeting that says the council “shall take action” on filling the position vacated by Verner before the end of the year, when Stark’s term ends.

Earlier this month, Council President Joe Shogan said he expected a new member to be chosen next year, after Rush is seated.

In one of the most contentious meetings of the year, members debated the proposal for more than an hour before voting 5-1 in support of selecting a council member Dec. 17. At one point, Shogan halted the meeting so members could discuss the matter privately.

French argued that an early appointment is needed because the council soon will set the 2008 budget, and with only six council members there’s a danger of tie votes.

“It only takes one of these issues to deadlock the council,” French said. “That’s why the (city) charter calls for seven members, so you can avoid a deadlocked council.”

And yet the final measure approved by the council says that the new member will be appointed “after deliberations on the 2008 budget.”

Shogan said even with the approved language, it’s possible that the council could delay action on the budget to bring in a new member. If there is no deadlock on the budget, Shogan said, he’s hopeful there will be more time to make a selection. The “action” required by the measure could simply be to defer a decision, he said.

Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin said her main goal is to move quickly to keep things running as “hiccup-free” as possible.

But she added that another factor is that the business community, and some members of the council, question Rush’s opinions on growth issues. A previous Spokesman-Review analysis of campaign contributions showed that Rush received $2,500 from development interests during the election, compared with $28,180 for Stark.

“There is a concern that there could be a change in the mind-set on the council concerning economic development,” McLaughlin said.

And she pointed to the 2000 council appointment of Dean Lynch when a deadlocked council took 37 votes to decide on him. After the first of the year, she said, it’s possible that the council could more easily deadlock on a new member with her, French and Steve Corker supporting a candidate against Rush, Shogan and Bob Apple.

Then again, she said, it’s just as likely that a qualified candidate will come forward with broad support.

The length of time used by the council to fill vacancies has varied considerably. When Verner was appointed to the council in 2004, the process lasted about 10 weeks. But it took the council only a few weeks to select Councilman Rob Crow in 2006.

The selection proposal approved Monday was not on the original City Council agenda and therefore wasn’t briefed to the council and public a week earlier, like most issues.

Former Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, who watched the meeting on TV, criticized the council for breaking in the middle of the discussion so members could talk about the issue. That move – which didn’t violate open-public meetings laws because council members split into small groups, none of which formed a quorum – makes the public distrust government, she said.

“As messy as it is, put it all out there,” Rodgers said.

French said it would be better to have experienced council members “who know what the job entails” make the decision. Rush “is coming into a job he hasn’t spent one hour doing,” he said.

But Rush questions why French believes it’s OK for a new council member to decide important budget issues, but not OK to help fill a vacancy.

“We just had an election, so it seems like it’s the new council members who would choose someone to work with,” Rush said.

Apple, who cast the lone vote against the faster selection process, said the quick turnaround will result in fewer applicants.

“Limiting that time simply limits that pool,” Apple said.

Stark said if he gets the chance to vote on the appointment, he will consult with Rush, but said he wouldn’t guarantee that he would follow his advice.

“It’s ultimately my responsibility and my accountability,” Stark said. “It’s a responsibility that I won’t shirk.”