Spokane Mayor Mary Verner and Spokane Valley Mayor Tom Towey

Elected officials are sometimes unable to avoid making bets with their counterparts in other realms about sporting events. When there are no decent sporting events, they sometimes cook up other competitions on which to wager.

Thus it was that Spokane Mayor Mary Verner and Spokane Valley Mayor Tom Towey managed to bet on which city's residents would do better on returning their 2010 Census forms by the end of April. Loser has to wear a shirt with the other city's logo.

Although it is not yet the end of April, the Census Bureau has released the results for Washington city returns, so the day of reckoning is at hand.

And the winner is: Nobody. Or everybody. In other words, it's a tie. Both cities have a return rate of 76 percent.

One might think the mayors would just let this little wager die a nice, quiet death. But one would be wrong. Each agreed to don the other city's shirt, and issue a joint press release.

“The great people of the Spokane region once again delivered,” said Verner.  “I’m proud to wear Spokane Valley’s colors in support of all the people who filled out their 2010 Census forms.”
“Pink isn’t one of my favorite colors,” said Towey of the pastel shirt provided by Verner.  “But since Mayor Verner is one of my favorite mayors, I’m going to wear it proudly.”

And by the way, the mayors said. If you are among the one in four who didn't turn in your Census form, be nice to the Census taker who comes to your door in May to get the information.

 

---

---