Grafos tells half-truth about SARP fiasco

Oh, dear. He’s done it again.

In the Jan. 27 Valley Voice, my former colleague, Spokane Valley Council member Dean Grafos, has once again referred to the $40 million Sprague/Appleway Revitalization Plan fiasco pushed on Spokane Valley taxpayers as an unfunded mandate by the former council.

There are so many half-truths there that it hardly bears refuting, except Mr. Grafos constantly quotes himself to prove his “facts.” However, in the interest of accuracy, here I go.

Mr. Grafos latched onto that $40 million figure during his campaign and has steadfastly refused to acknowledge the actual state of affairs. In “Run, Spot, Run” language, let me explain to everyone what has happened. The initial proposed figure for the total Sprague Appleway Revitalization Project was $42 million, which included the purchase of right of way and extension of Appleway.

This was unacceptable to the council, and it was reduced to $35 million of which $26 million was for the Appleway extension. That left $9 million for improvements on Sprague Avenue, of which $7 million has already been spent. The money already spent came from grants and real estate excise taxes. The Appleway extension has been put on hold. This is hardly mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.

The problem with using half-truths is that there is some truth there. If you used that same analogy while flying, and your heading from Spokane to New Orleans was off by a single degree, you would never reach your destination.

The numbers are there for anyone to research. Ask City Hall. Ask the newspapers. We shouldn’t have to put up with half-truths and innuendo as the basis for fiscal planning in our city.

Rose Dempsey

Former member of the

Spokane Valley City Council