ON THE ISSUES: Karen Stratton, candidate for Spokane City Council, District 3
Explain your political philosophy. Who is your political hero?
Stratton: Effective public service is about serving constituents, not political parties. I learned this from my parents. In their day, local governments could focus on providing basic services --- police, fire, garbage, streets, water and sewer. Today the challenges are more complex, and we recognize now that healthy cities must go beyond these traditional services. Social services, neighborhood services, and aggressive workforce and economic development programs are now the hallmarks of a successful and livable city.
My parents were both passionate, committed progressives who spoke honestly about the issues and respected differences of opinion. I can think of no better example to follow as we tackle the challenges of modern city life.
Describe the current relationship between the City Council and the mayor. If you think the relationship’s productive, explain why. If you think the relationship should change, explain why and how you would change it.
Stratton: The Mayor and Council agree far more often on policy issues than they disagree. It is inevitable that there will be disagreements between the Council and the Mayor from time to time. That is a sign of a healthy democracy. The process works best when disagreements are honestly and fairly discussed. In my view the problem is that the Council has little basis to believe the administration is being candid when it presents information about City programs and practices. Until we as a council have faith that the information presented is always the administration’s best effort to be honest and straightforward, the relationship between the council and the Mayor will be strained. It is hard to play fair and square with the Mayor when one feels he is always hiding the ball.
The lack of candor is made worse by the Mayor’s campaign activities. I am disappointed that the Mayor has chosen to endorse candidates in these local races and actively campaign for them. This behavior is unprecedented in a Spokane mayor and does little to improve the current dialogue between the Council and his administration.
Last year, voters overwhelmingly approved a 20-year street levy. Under the city’s integrated streets policy (also known as Complete Streets), part of that money will go toward pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Do you support that money, as well as other funding, going toward alternative transportation? Why or why not? Do you support the city’s work on road diets?
Stratton: I support using the street levy funding for alternative transportation. There is a persistent notion that streets are just for automobiles, and we need to embrace a philosophy that encourages transportation of all kinds. That philosophy is embedded in Road Diets, and has worked well on Sprague Avenue. However, we learned from the experience on Monroe Street that Road Diets are best implemented when local businesses are better educated about the program and have a meaningful opportunity to be a part of the design process and final result.
Should the Spokane Police Ombudsman have more or less powers to independently investigate alleged police misconduct?
Stratton: More. The citizens wisely voted for more authority. The administration simply has failed to make it happen.
Do you support the city’s recent issuance of $200 million in municipal bonds? Why or why not?
Stratton: Yes. The City issued these bonds to generate funds for mandated clean-up of the Spokane River. Even if not required to clean up the river, this is a good investment in our local environment.
What’s the most underutilized revenue source for the city of Spokane?
Stratton: Revenues from marijuana sales. The best use for these funds is to assist cities and counties in their efforts to ensure orderly growth of the marijuana industry as well as effective enforcement and education. Recent state legislation has provided a mechanism to get more of those dollars to local governments, but it is not enough. The City should work to get more of those revenues.
Do you support the city’s decision to sue Monsanto over PCBs in the Spokane River?
Stratton: Yes.
Should speed cameras be installed in school zones? Why or Why not?
Stratton: Yes. I have supported efforts to install speed cameras in school zones. Currently, these cameras have been installed at Finch Elementary and Longfellow Elementary, areas with well-documented and high incidents of speeding in school zones. I expect they will be an important tool for making school zones safer.
The city has been without a planning director since Scott Chesney was ousted last November, a move that led, in part, to Jan Quintrall’s sudden resignation earlier this year. Do you believe the city has suffered due to the unfilled planning director position? And, if asked for advice by the mayor, what qualities would you recommend in a planning director?
Stratton: Yes, the City and City planning staff have suffered. Any department suffers when it lacks stable, experienced leadership. I have yet to hear a good explanation as to why this position has not been filled. In looking for a candidate, they should find someone who recognizes that the Council sets local policies on the regulation and placement of development in the City, and the Planning Department implements that policy. A good director will understand the respective roles of the council and administration, and, with the assistance of the planning commission, will make recommendations to the Council on changes based on the City’s experience in implementing adopted policies.
How many public relations professionals, or spokesmen and spokeswomen, should the city employ? Explain.
Stratton: The City should have one Director of Communications. For larger departments (SPD, Utilities, Parks, Library), Public Information Coordinators should be retained to support the one Director of Communications and their respective City departments. These are Civil Service jobs with reasonable salaries.
Will you vote in favor of Envision Spokane’s Worker Bill of Rights? Why or Why not?
Stratton: No. It is well established that the measure is legally flawed. I also do not think Spokane can support the wage requirements. Rather than mandating changes through yet another overly-broad measure full of potential for unintended consequences, we should be focusing on targeted measures tailored to the working climate and business environment in Spokane, such as the proposed safe and sick leave policy.
Should the city vacate two blocks of public right-of-way on Madison Avenue for use by a car dealership?
Stratton: Not as the risk of the small businesses located on Madison Avenue, no.
Since its creation in 2007, the Spokane Investment Pool has grown to contain more than half a billion dollars. In the past five years, the city has borrowed money against the pool to buy new equipment for the fire and police departments, to (potentially) build a Centennial Trail bridge over Mission Avenue, to buy a new fire station in the West Plains, to buy a new property evidence facility and to pay for the land below the old YMCA in Riverfront Park. Do you support the city borrowing money against its investments, much of which is bonded debt? Explain.
Stratton: I support limited use of the SIP, particularly when the expenditures directly benefit the public. I worry that too often we rely on this pool to fund projects. I worry the rationale is based on the notion that savings is the same as income, a justification that seems to rely on phantom revenues and doesn’t fully account for the risks to the City.
Does Spokane have a sprawl problem? Should the city develop stronger policies encouraging infill? Is the current model working? Or should the city get out of the way and let development occur?
Stratton: “Getting out of the way and letting development occur” is not an option under the Growth Management Act and is certainly no way to ensure orderly growth of municipal infrastructure. No system is perfect, and ours doesn’t always strike the right balance between encouraging in-fill and maintaining the character and quality of neighborhoods that have room for growth, but overall it has worked to prevent sprawl within the City limits.