Spokane County Commissioners

Spokane County is now two confirmed Covid cases away from a thousand, with 22 new cases reported today [Monday] and 157 during the last seven days.

Spokane’s consistent increases come at a time when some elected officials, particularly the three county commissioners, are pushing the health officer to move forward in the process toward phase three.

Is Spokane County ready to move to the next phase of Washington’s coronavirus reopening protocol? County commissioners and Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward say yes. Health Officer Bob Lutz is skeptical. 

Lutz cites the doubling of the number of confirmed cases since the Memorial Day weekend. But he’s also worried about another factor.

Spokane County’s commissioners today formally asked Health Officer Bob Lutz to initiate the process to move the county to level three of the state’s reopening plan.

In the letter signed by all three commissioners, the trio say they believe the "clear majority" of hospitals and businesses are ready to move to phase three. They say those companies are following the strict sanitary and spacing guidelines needed to keep their customers safe.

UPDATED with comments from Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and Commissioner Al French. 

Spokane County’s commissioners voted this morning [Tuesday] to ask Washington Health Secretary John Wiesman to allow the county to move to the next step as it emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

The county wants the same sort of variance that was granted to eight other counties. That would allow them to move directly to phase two of the state’s four-phase reopening plan.

Spokane County has sent a letter to Governor Jay Inslee asking him to allow certain businesses to immediately reopen.

The letter from the Spokane County commissioners cites the progress Spokane has made in reducing the rate of increase of confirmed Covid cases.

A court case that challenges a Washington state law that would require Spokane County to adjust its form of government could be headed to the state Supreme Court.

Spokane County commissioners are filing a suit challenging a state law that directs the county to expand the county commission.

Tuesday, commissioners voted unanimously to join a lawsuit that challenges a state law that says Spokane County will need to expand its current commission from three to five members in 2022.

Earlier this year, Washington state lawmakers decided that counties with more than 400,000 people should have five members on county commissions.

Spokane County still has three commissioners, and now that board is planning to fight the state’s new rule.

New Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney was was given the oath of office Friday by her now former boss, county Auditor Vicky Dalton.

Kuney was Dalton’s chief deputy in the auditor’s office.

The Spokane County Commissioners announced today (Tuesday) they’re taking a property tax ballot measure off of the November ballot. The resolution would have asked taxpayers for permission to raise county property taxes by the more than 1% allowed by the state. The decision was made because the legislature has decided on its own property tax increase.

Even though Spokane County voters just rejected a measure that would have expanded the county commission from three to five members, a state lawmaker has proposed a bill that makes another attempt.

Spokane county voters will have chance to decide if the county should expand its commission from three to five members. 

When the Spokane county commission was first established, there were about 50 thousand people in the county. Now, over 100 years later, the population is about half a million, but that board still has three commissioners.

Spokane county voters will have a chance to decide if the commission should be expanded to five on this Falls ballot.

The state appeals court ruled Thursday on a development issue between county commissioners and a rural Spokane neighborhood. Part of an ongoing court-battle, this opinion sides mostly with the Growth Management Hearings Board, not the commissioners.

Two people are challenging County Commissioner Al French this year. Bonnie Mager was in our studio last month, and this month we meet Mary Lou Johnson. French is a current commissioner, and Mager was commissioner until French beat her in 2010. Johnson brings a solid background in criminal justice, and knowledge of county programs. She worked as an attorney in Spokane then for a federal district court judge for 17 years.