Kelly, Pockell take different positions on policing, housing in Spokane Valley council race

The candidates to replace longtime Spokane Valley City Councilman Rod Higgins have different takes on how the city should grow and how to keep it safe.

Mike Kelly, chief financial officer of KT Contracting, and Kristopher Pockell, software engineer manager at OpenEye, were the top finishers for Higgins’ seat in the August primary. Higgins, the city’s former mayor who has served on the city council since 2013 , chose not to run for reelection this year, leaving position 1 open for someone new. Higgins has endorsed Pockell for the job.

In the August primary election, Kelly had 46.5% of the votes, and Pockell had 33.5% . The other two candidates, Lisa Miller and Adam Smith, did not garner enough votes to carry them to November’s election.

Kelly and Pockell have run for political offices before. Kelly ran for the state Senate seat to represent Spokane Valley last year but lost the election after details of a decades old drug conviction resurfaced, and Pockell ran and lost against Rep. Suzanne Schmidt for the state Legislature last year.

Housing, public safety and other priorities

Kelly and Pockell differ greatly in their stances on developments they support coming to the Valley.

“I’m in favor of homeownership,” Kelly said. “I want people to be vested in the community.”

Kelly said he’s not a fan of apartment complexes, which he referred to as “huge monstrosities,” but said that townhomes or condos could be a good addition to the city, filling the gap for affordable housing.

Pockell believes in a more diverse approach and said that he’d like to see more developments like the Kendall Yards neighborhood in Spokane, where there are single- and multi-family housing units and local businesses where neighbors can grab brunch, cocktails and pizzas.

“Higher-density housing is something we need to be able to house the people that live here,” Pockell said. “We need more housing of all types.”

The two candidates also differ in their view of homelessness in the Valley.

Kelly said he’d like the council to demand accountability and have a firm enforcement of laws against open drug use, public indecency, drug possession, drug distribution and camping on people’s property. If homeless people in the Valley don’t want to access services that will help them, they should go to jail, Kelly said.

“We’re not trying to criminalize homelessness, we’re trying to make crime illegal again,” Kelly said.

A grand jury indicted Kelly on multiple drug and firearm charges including attempted possession of cocaine and conspiring to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute in October 1989, according to court records.

The charges stemmed from June 1989, when Kelly and an associate purchased a kilogram of cocaine from an undercover Portland Police Bureau officer for $75,000, court records say. Kelly pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Last year, when he ran for the Legislature, his website stressed that he never used the drugs and only was involved in the “financing of transactions involving controlled substances.”

He also acknowledged it was wrong to be involved in the drug trade and said the case is no longer relevant, given the decades it has been since his conviction.

His sentence was reduced to 7 years after a judge dropped a firearms charge to which he initially pleaded guilty .

Pockell said he’d prefer to work with the state Legislature to loosen restrictions they place on funds they give the city to spend on homelessness.

“Our dollars could go much further if we could spend money on keeping people in their homes instead of waiting until they’re on the street,” Pockell said.

Kelly’s plan looks good on paper, Pockell said, but since the local jail is already at capacity most days, it’s not a realistic solution.

Both candidates said their biggest priority for Spokane Valley is public safety, mentioning the recent approval of a 0.1% sales tax that received 59% of the Valley’s votes in August’s election.

The city estimates the new tax will raise at least $2.6 million in 2026. The new revenue will fund around 10 more Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies for the Valley.

Pockell said he’s happy that residents voted for the tax increase because of the city’s need for more officers. Kelly opposed the tax increase, but said he’d rather see a sales tax increase like Proposition 1 than a property tax increase. Kelly helped work on a column against Proposition 1 earlier this year.

Both Pockell and Kelly plan to continue the city council’s tradition of forgoing the state-allowed 1% annual property tax increase. The city has not raised property taxes for 16 consecutive years.

Both candidates agreed that seeking federal and state grants is a good thing for the city.

“The city has done a good job doing a lot with a little,” Pockell said. “Spokane Valley carrying essentially no debt is a very good thing. We’ve done a good job of making sure we have a balanced budget and are spending within our means.”

The council needs to create a budget that reflects city’s needs, rather than its wants, Kelly said.

He also said his other priorities for the city would be focusing on budgeting, taxes and affordability.

“We have to make sure we’re spending our money wisely,” Kelly said.

Pockell said his other priorities for the city would be homelessness, the housing crisis and infrastructure.

“The city should take care of our shared infrastructure – roads and bridges,” Pockell said.

Endorsements

Pockell has endorsements from a wide political spectrum, including Spokane Valley Council members Ben Wick, Tim Hattenburg, Pam Haley and Higgins. He is also endorsed by the 4th Legislative District Democrats and the Republicans of Spokane County, an organization of moderate Republicans.

“I know both candidates, and I just feel Kris is more aligned with the way I view things,” Higgins said.

The council faces a number of issues including homelessness, budgeting, property rights issues and public safety, Higgins said. But what Higgins said he’s most concerned about is making sure the new council members keep meetings efficient, referencing council member Al Merkel, whom Higgins called a “disruptive force.”

“Whoever is in my seat cannot be a person that seconds one of Merkel’s ideas so it’s open for discussion, because most of that stuff doesn’t need to be discussed,” Higgins said. “I think of the two, Kris is more likely to stand up to Merkel.”

Kelly is endorsed by the official GOP in Spokane, the Spokane County Republican Party. He’s also backed by Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger and Laura Padden and Lisa Miller, who ran against him in the primary election. Former Washington Senator Mike Padden also endorsed Kelly. Yaeger said she endorsed Kelly because he has an eye for budgeting.

“Mike has a great demeanor and is very thoughtful in his actions and questions,” Yaeger said. “He’s conservative and he is going to be very careful with finances. He’s going to question things when it comes to budgeting.”

Passions for

Spokane Valley

“When I heard Rod was not going to run for re-election, I felt compelled to run,” Kelly said. “I felt that a strong person needed to be in this seat that would look out for the values and priorities of Spokane Valley.”

Kelly says he’s the man for the job, noting that he’d be willing to stand up to outside pressure the city faces from neighboring cities.

“A lot of people feel like the problems emanating from Spokane are working their way out to outer areas like Spokane Valley,” Kelly said.

Kelly said because he has more business, political and life experience, he would be a good council member. Kelly moved to the Valley six years ago.

Pockell, on the other hand, decided to run after trying and failing to find someone to support in the race for Higgins’ open seat. Everyone he spoke to, including Schmidt, told Pockell that he should run.

“I love Spokane Valley; it’s been my home all my life,” Pockell said. “I had a great childhood in the Valley, and I want to see that continue for future generations. I worry about the future of the Valley. I want it to remain a place that I love to live in.”

Pockell said that being a part of city council will give him the chance to give back to the city he grew up in.

“I understand the mindset of the people here because I’ve lived here my whole life,” Pockell said.

Council improvements

The city council could do better working together, said Pockell.

“There’s a lot of contention on the council today and a lot of back and forth that I wish we could do differently,” Pockell said. “I’m pretty easygoing, and I’d like to see the council do a better job of assuming the best in people and trying to rise above the infighting.”

Kelly said the council should have more residents attending meetings at city hall. His goal, if elected, would be to develop more engagement between council members and community members and to work to create a council that is more transparent for the average citizen.

“Often times perception is more important than reality,” Kelly said.

Right now, Kelly says the perception is that the council is insular.

“I’d like us to communicate with the public better and explain why the council is doing what they’re doing,” he said.

Editor’s note: This report was updated on Sept. 15, 2025 to note that Kelly was endorsed by the Spokane County Republican Party.