Community development chief named
Five months after the firing of Spokane City Hall’s longest-serving administrator, a replacement has been hired to oversee the community development department.
The Spokane City Council on Monday unanimously approved Mayor Dennis Hession’s appointment of Teresa Brum, who has worked for the city for 13 years, as community development director.
Brum, 50, has been the interim director of the department for a couple of months. Earlier this year she was interim economic development director.
Hession’s decision in the spring to fire Mike Adolfae caused an outpouring of anger from neighborhood leaders who questioned if the mayor was hoping to redirect money aimed at the poor to developers in the form of building incentives. At the time of the firing, the mayor said he believed the department under Adolfae was too focused on “treating the symptoms (of poverty) and not finding solutions.”
Councilman Bob Apple said Brum is an “excellent” choice.
“What she has proved is she is an administrator first and foremost,” Apple said.
But John Downes, vice president of the city’s community development board, said a majority of the board wanted Brum’s appointment deferred until after the mayoral election.
Jerry Numbers, a former community development board member, said the council should have waited to fill the vacancy until Hession provides his goals for the department.
“We were told that (Adolfae) did not share his vision,” Numbers said. “We’re still waiting for his vision.”
But Tobby Hatley, a community development board member, said it’s time to appoint someone to lead the department.
“We need to move forward,” Hatley said. “Let’s keep the politics out of it.”
Before becoming interim economic development director, Brum served as the city’s historic preservation officer and development incentives director.
Brum, who has a history degree from Middle Tennessee State University, lives in the Manito neighborhood in Spokane. She will earn $81,703 a year.
Councilman Al French was absent for the vote.