Spokane to release illustrated zine on civic engagement at April 17th Lilac City Live event

It’s not uncommon for people to express at Spokane City Council meetings that they wish it was easier to understand how the city’s government works and how to get civically engaged with their elected representatives.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the formation of Spokane’s neighborhood council system, the city will release a zine explaining city government and describing the different ways residents can get involved.

Written by the city’s Office of Neighborhood Services, the niche publication will launch at the April 17 Lilac City Live, the public library system’s quarterly “late night talk show,” which will be focused on the city’s neighborhoods.

The event, starting at 8 p.m. at the downtown library, will also feature live music, refreshments and interviews with Mayor Lisa Brown, neighborhood services Program Manager Pollyanna Birge and Annica Eagle, dubbed “Spokane’s punmaster” by The Inlander in 2018.

“We have a really unique form of citizen government here in Spokane that a lot of cities don’t have through the neighborhood councils and the Community Assembly,” said city spokeswoman Erin Hut. “This zine is a really great way for folks to understand how an ordinance becomes a law, or how to contact your council member – just the basic civics that people don’t get through school anymore.”

The zine was illustrated by Spokane artist Madison Merica, who was selected through a competitive process and will also speak at the Lilac City Live event. Merica also recently illustrated the Inlander’s 2025 The Best Of edition.

The publication is funded entirely by a $10,000 grant from Avista and other local businesses, according to Hut.