Spokane City Council picks finalists for Snyder’s seat

The Spokane City Council has settled on seven finalists to replace Jon Snyder, who left the council for a state job earlier this month.

They are:

Breean Beggs , who unsuccesfully ran for county prosecutor in 2014 and represented the family of Otto Zehm in a suit against the city. He also is legal counsel for the city’s police ombudsman commission.

Todd Beyreuther , an assistant research professor at the Institute for Sustainable Design at Washington State University.

Asher Ernst , who works for the First Presbyterian Church of Spokane and has been on the city’s Plan Commission since 2008.

Patricia Hansen , a member of the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood executive committee who recently helped clarify the city’s law ruling where cellphone towers can be built.

Blaine Stum , Snyder’s former legislative aide and chairman of the city’s Human Rights Commission. He is also the chairman of Inland Northwest Business Alliance’s public policy committee.

Phillip Tyler , an Air Force veteran and vice president of the Spokane NAACP who worked with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich wrote a letter to the council endorsing Tyler for the position.

John Waite , a four-time candidate for the council who owns Merlyn’s, a comics and game store.

The seat, which represents south Spokane, was held by Jon Snyder, who left the city earlier this month for a policy adviser position in state government. The remaining members will appoint a replacement early next month who will serve the rest of his term ending in 2017.

The position is nonpartisan, but the council has a liberal 5-1 majority, a coalition that included Snyder before his resignation. The council will review the applicants, interview their top choices and vote to fill the seat Feb. 8 during a regularly scheduled Monday night meeting. It pays about $31,000 a year.