Spokane-style city is not Valley's goal

Should the city of Spokane annex Yardley or should the area become part of a new Valley city?

Pity the city. It's hurting for money.

Spokane is up to its eyeballs in lawsuits, most of which its officials filed themselves. Some, they even filed against themselves. As a result the city's bond ratings have dropped, which will cost the city even more money. Ironically, most of the lawsuits target one piece of a downtown project that, as a whole, has benefited the city.

Spokane's strong mayor rightly believes that poverty is the city's biggest problem. He desperately wants economic development. He is a persuasive speaker and a big thinker. He likes to draw diagrams on whiteboards but he doesn't have a detailed, coordinated plan to lure businesses to Spokane.

For many other city leaders, visions of a successful Spokane end with cruising around town on smooth, freshly paved and striped streets. Smooth streets - life is good.

It takes a lot of money to keep a well-oiled machine like that running.

So, the city wants to raid the bounty of the county and annex the tax-rich Yardley area. The city has some leverage. Years ago, property owners in the area agreed not to oppose annexation in exchange for access to city utilities.

But there is a catch. The agreements the Yardley folks signed were with a different City Council, under a different form of government. Now, the city budget, if not broke, is badly bent. The City Council is bickering and seems dysfunctional. Its ability to borrow money has been severely damaged by its own actions.

So Yardley property owners have no reason to believe the city can provide them with the leadership, vision and level of services they expected when they agreed to be annexed. In that case, giving the city massive tax revenues in exchange for poorer governance is a gift.

Given the city's track record on such gifts, the officials would have to sue themselves, again, if they proceed with annexation and collect taxes.

Until the city demonstrates the ability to manage its money, to conduct itself in a civil and productive manner, and to provide vision and leadership, the city should not be allowed to expand its boundaries one inch. If the city wants to recover the costs of the utility hookups, it can ask County Commissioner Kate McCaslin for the money.

The county commissioners, or the new city of Spokane Valley, ought to draw a line in the rocky Valley soil just east of Havana and stop the city dead in its tracks.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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