Daryl Williams drops out of race for Spokane Valley City Council

Spokane Valley City Councilman Ben Wick’s opponent in the November election told supporters last week that he’s dropping his challenge for the position.

In a message to City Councilman Al Merkel, candidate Daryl Williams cited health challenges that Williams says would make it difficult to give full attention to city issues.

“I do not feel that I could give the people of Spokane Valley the full attention and energy they deserve from their council member,” Williams said in the message to Merkel. “It has been an honor to take part in this process and to hear from so many residents who care deeply about the future of our community.”

Williams has not responded to multiple requests from The Spokesman-Review for information about his campaign before and after he decided to drop out of the race.

Despite Williams’ announcement, it’s too late to remove his name from the ballot, said Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton. If Williams receives the most votes, he still would win the seat on the council, but he can choose not to take office, Dalton said. If Williams chooses not to take office, Wick, as the current incumbent, would remain on the council. If Williams wanted to prevent that from happening, he could take the oath of office and immediately resign, Dalton said. Then the position would be declared vacant, and a successor would be picked through the council. That successor would remain on the council for a short term until 2027, the next scheduled election.

Merkel declined to disclose the specifics of Williams’ health problems.

“I hope his health will be OK,” Councilman Tim Hattenburg said. “I’m well aware of what a health problem can do to the council, not that I’m complaining.”

Hattenburg recently took over as mayor for several months while Pam Haley took a medical leave of absence from the council.

“It’s a long commitment to go to weekly meetings,” Hattenberg said. “I respect him for stepping back.”

Merkel, a current council member who endorsed Williams, said on Friday that he commends Williams for his choice to step back from the race. Williams is a part of the Coalition for Common Sense, a group composed of Merkel, Williams, Hohn and Catherine Nelson. The coalition, organized in July, says it stands for public safety, keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible in the Valley.

“It takes true bravery and patriotism to recognize when health challenges prevent you from representing residents and devoting all your efforts to making Spokane Valley a great place to live again. Daryl’s courage to put the people of Spokane Valley above his own ambitions speaks volumes about his character,” Merkel said.

Wick has lived in the Valley all his life and has been involved in its local politics for over two decades. Wick ran for the inaugural City Council when he was a college student and kept trying to get on council until 2012, when he won a seat.

“We just have so much opportunity,” Wick said about the Valley. “We have so much going for us.”

Spokane Valley has a great foundation and tradition of fiscal responsibility and virtually no debt and Wick is dedicated to keeping that going, he said. Wick said his goal is to continue growing the local economy and advocate for the city.

“We’re lucky to have Ben,” Hattenburg said. “He has a lot of political experience in the Valley. He’s a person who will listen to everyone. He will do a good job.”

Public safety and infrastructure are Wick’s biggest priorities for the city. Although he feels the city should continue contracting with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to provide the Valley’s police force, Wick said the city could do more to crack down on local crime, particularly property and retail crimes. Wick noted that the Valley’s Best Buy was the only one east of the Cascades with an armed guard during the holiday season to prevent shoplifting. That kind of thing not only keeps crime down but also shows that the city supports the business community, Wick said.

Infrastructure projects like the project to build a railroad bridge over Pines Road to help the flow of traffic need to be completed, Wick said. The Valley has $43 million in state and federal funds to cover the project, and the city likely will break ground on the underpass this month, Jill Smith said.

Wick said he will continue to prioritize maintaining and expanding the Valley’s roads .

“Every dollar we spend on maintenance we save up to $8 from having to repave a street,” Wick said.

Those dollars count when you’re operating a debt-free city, Wick said.

Wick said he hopes the council will develop more of a vision toward projects like connecting the Appleway and Centennial trails. The council has made good strides to grow the local economy and prioritize infrastructure improvements in recent years, Wick said, which has led to more development in the city.

“We want to make investments that attract businesses so we can get an economic engine going,” Wick said.