Ballot to address cost of bill of rights

Wed., Aug. 5, 2009

By Jonathan Brunt jonathanb@spokesman.com (509) 459-5442

Proposed language

Read Envision Spokane's proposed Community Bill of Rights.

Builders file complaint

The state Public Disclosure Commission is opening a formal investigation into a complaint against a Spokane citizen activist group filed by the local builders’ association.

The Spokane Home Builders filed a complaint last month against Envision Spokane, the group behind the Community Bill of Rights. The complaint alleges Envision Spokane has not filed the required information on the sources of money it received and spent.

Lori Anderson, PDC spokeswoman, said the case was assigned to a staff investigator after an initial review. The formal investigation may take about 120 days, she said.

Jim Camden

A group fighting to place a list of rights into Spokane’s charter is accusing city leaders of tampering with that initiative and has hinted that it may file a lawsuit against the city.

Late Monday night, the Spokane City Council decided to ask voters if the city should raise taxes or fees “as needed” to pay for Envision Spokane’s Community Bill of Rights. Separately, the council decided to ask if residents would rather have the city reduce services to cover any costs.

Council members have said the measure will increase city legal bills by allowing people to sue the city to enforce the rights, which include the right to affordable housing and health care. Proponents have countered that costs are negligible in part because they say for the health care right the city only needs to create a group to examine affordable preventive health care. Both sides accuse each other of not providing proof about the financial impact.

The president of Envision’s board, Brad Read, called the additional ballot questions “cowardly” and an attempt to prejudice voters.

“Your action tonight … tells me that you don’t actually trust the people that put you in the office you hold,” Read testified Monday.

Envision Spokane e-mailed a draft of a lawsuit protesting the action to the council earlier this week.

Council members argued that the ballot language is inaccurate. Taxpayers should know that the rules likely will cost the city money, they said.

“It’s not to say don’t vote for Envision Spokane,” said Councilman Al French. “It’s to say if Envision Spokane has value to you, tell us how to pay for it.”

Last month, the council reluctantly agreed to place Envision’s proposal on the ballot after members collected the required number of signatures.

Envision supporters say the nine new rules would give power to citizens and neighborhoods often ignored by business interests and elected leaders. Among the rights in the proposal:

•Make the city responsible for creating a system of “affordable fee-for-service” preventive health care.

•Create restrictions on banks that loan money to nonlocal parties.

•Require all workers on private construction projects of more than $2 million to be paid prevailing wages – set by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

•Give neighborhood councils the power to veto development projects if petitioned by 15 percent of the neighborhood residents who voted in the previous city election.

•Give “ecosystems” the right to “exist and flourish.”

Councilman Richard Rush, who has stated his opposition to the initiative, was the lone vote against asking voters if taxes or fees should be increased. He said the questions, which will cost the city about $15,000 to add to the ballot, are “essentially using taxpayers’ dollars to campaign” against Envision.

Council President Joe Shogan joined Rush in opposing the question about cutting city services.

Envision supporters said the questions could backfire.

“The Community Bill of Rights is about putting decision-making into the hands of the people,” Read said. “You are proving why the Community Bill of Rights is necessary.”