Gothmann files papers for re-election to Spokane Valley City Council

Spokane Valley City Council member Bill Gothmann filed candidate registration paperwork this week with the Public Disclosure Commission declaring his intention to run for re-election in November.

Gothmann, a retired electrical engineer and college professor, was elected to the council in November 2005 and took office in January 2006. He had previously served on the Spokane Valley Planning Commission for two and a half years.

He is the first to officially announce his candidacy for any Spokane Valley council seat. In November, Councilman Dean Grafos’ term expires and the term of the seat vacated by Rose Dempsey is also up.

“Some say I filed early, some say I should have filed earlier than this,” Gothmann said.

The current makeup of the council pits Gothmann against five candidates who ran together on the “Positive Change” slate. Despite frequently being in the minority on split votes, Gothmann said he still has a role to play.

“We need to represent all views,” he said. “I think I can throw ideas down. I think I can work with the present council and provide input. There are a lot more issues to decide that need to be decided in the next year beyond SARP. We’ll all work together on those.”

Gothmann acknowledges that the upcoming race will likely be more expensive than his last one in 2007, when he raised a total of $9,200 in an election where he was unopposed. He said raising more money won’t be a problem even though he thinks it’s likely he’ll have a challenger this time. “I think people know who I am and what I’m doing,” he said. “I am known as one who studies the issues very carefully.”

He’s heard strong support for his plan to run again, Gothmann said. “I’ve been encouraged by many, many people,” he said. “I also have a philosophy that if the Lord opens a door for you, you don’t ask if it’s difficult, you ask if it’s His will. I just think this is the best thing for me and for the citizens.”