Shelby Lambdin appointed to four-month stint on Spokane City Council

Shelby Lambdin was appointed to a four-month stint on the Spokane City Council Monday, filling a seat representing south Spokane vacated by former Councilwoman Lili Navarrete, who was herself appointed to the seat in early 2024 and resigned effective July 1 citing health concerns.

Lambdin is the population health director at the Community Health Association of Spokane, more commonly known as CHAS Health. She was appointed with a 4-2 vote; Councilmen Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart opposed her appointment.

Though voters will have an opportunity in November to choose a successor for a full four-year term – Kate Telis and Alejandro Barrientos are currently vying for the seat – the City Council is responsible for appointing a temporary replacement when a seat is vacated early.

Bingle and Cathcart had advocated to appoint Ryan Oelrich, who served on the City Council during a roughly two-month stint in 2023, arguing that the experience would make it easier for Oelrich to hit the ground running as the council prepares to balance the city’s budget in the coming months.

Ahead of the vote, Councilman Paul Dillon thanked the applicants for the position but said he and Council President Betsy Wilkerson had wanted to bring on a new voice to the council.

Lambdin has no political, elected or government experience. During her public interview, Lambdin argued her experience in public health would bring expertise to the council on addressing relevant issues. She advocated for reducing the city’s costs by using technology and artificial intelligence to replace personnel and streamline operations.

Lambdin also argued in favor of programs to make the city’s outdoor recreation more accessible to marginalized communities and for advancing the council’s work on making various services available in other languages.