A local progressive activist is running against a former educator to represent south Spokane's District 2 on Spokane City Council this year.
Paul Dillon previously worked as vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho. He's also worked as a legislative aide for state Sen. Andy Billig and former City Council member Jon Snyder.
Katey Treloar previously worked as an educator for Spokane Public Schools. She helped start a nonprofit that feeds hungry kids, and is the founder and owner of Executive Function Coaching, which coaches individuals with ADHD and other neurodiverse diagnoses.
Last week, the two candidates took questions from the Inlander and Spokesman-Review at a debate hosted by KSPS. The debate ran through a number of topics (see below) and ended with Treloar comparing Dillon's social media posting habits to that of the former president. ("No one's ever told me I sound like Donald Trump," Dillon replied. "[I've] never voted for him.")
Here's where the candidates stand on the issues facing the city. Ballots will be mailed to voters this week and are due Nov. 7.
DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM
Latah Valley residents are calling for a moratorium on new development on the city's west flank because they're concerned about road and fire infrastructure not being able to keep up with population growth.
Dillon says he supports a moratorium. He says he used to live in the Grandview/Thorpe neighborhood and saw firsthand the challenges associated with a lack of infrastructure.
"We shouldn't be building more housing in a wildfire zone, especially after this summer," Dillon says. "I am absolutely committed to getting that fire station built in my first term."
Treloar also committed to getting a station built by the end of her term, but she's wary of supporting a moratorium without a larger plan in place.
She says she wants to put together a committee of various stakeholders that can create a comprehensive plan with "timelines and accountability."
"If that plan includes a moratorium, then I will support a moratorium," Treloar says. "But I do not support a moratorium as a plan to make a plan."
BUDGET
The candidates have different approaches when asked how they would balance the city budget, which is facing an unusually large $20 million shortfall this year.
Treloar says she would start by examining the City Council. She notes that the council's budget has grown in recent years, and says she would want to find redundancies in positions that overlap on both the council and administrative side of city government. She also points to downtown as a revenue source the city needs to protect.
"It is essential that we have a clean and safe downtown," Treloar says, adding that Spokane needs to support the businesses there so they don't flee.
Dillon pushes back on Treloar's calls to cut the council's budget, arguing that the council's staff has grown in recent years because council members are being asked to do more. He says he wants to pass a "budget that helps working families that does not come at the expense of service cuts."
But avoiding service cuts requires finding more money to fill gaps. Dillon proposes convening a "revenue stabilization workgroup" to find new sources of money. The workgroup, Dillon adds, would include business entities, small businesses, Avista and nonprofits.
TRAFFIC CALMING
In Spokane, money generated by speeding and red light cameras goes to a dedicated pot of money. This "traffic calming fund" traditionally goes toward infrastructure projects, like speed bumps and stop signs. This year, however, Mayor Nadine Woodward has proposed taking $2 million from the fund to cover gaps in the police department's overtime budget.
Treloar argues that the current traffic calming process isn't transparent and that she's talked to families who were frustrated about not getting the projects they asked for.
"I really think that at this time, we need a safe and clean city," Treloar says. "And because the use of our traffic calming funds isn't exactly transparent, and it doesn't have a process that everyone is aware of, that money would be better spent using it for police overtime."
Dillon disagrees. "I don't support raiding the traffic calming fund for police overtime," Dillon says. "Our 27 neighborhood councils, they've come to expect this funding to go to what it was intended for."
FLUORIDE
This is an issue the candidates actually agree on. Spokane residents have three times voted against adding fluoride to the city's water system. When asked if they would support fluoridation, both candidates say now simply isn't the time.
"This is just not a priority for voters," Dillon says. ♦
