Spokane Valley Fire Commission, position 1
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick W. Burch | 10,330 | 51.34% |
| Stan Chalich, write-in candidate | 9,790 | 48.66% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About the Race
The Candidates
Patrick W. Burch
- City:
- Spokane Valley, WA
Education: Graduated from Anaconda (Mont.) High School, 1981. Earned bachelor’s degree at Eastern Washington University in information systems and operations management and completed a Master of Business Administration at Washington State University.
Work experience: Co-owner and business manager of Neurotherapy Northwest. Former vice president of operations at MediServ, a medical billing company. Former financial controller for Boeing Airborn Warning and Control System airplanes, and former industrial engineer for the 757 Final Assembly Division. Served in Navy Reserve for eight years, working on nuclear-powered submarines.
Political experience: Appointed to the Spokane Valley Fire Department board in 2016. Volunteer member of department’s Community Emergency Response Team team in 2008. Served as team leader of Fire Corps, a volunteer group.
Family: Married and has two children.
Stan Chalich, write-in candidate
- Age:
- 80
- City:
- Liberty Lake, Washington
Write-in candidate
Education: Veradale Elementary School, Progress Elementary School, Greenacres Junior High, Issaquah Junior High, Central Valley High School. Earned associates degree at Columbia Basin College Montana-Western in Dillon. Earned bachelor's in education and history.
Political Experience: Ran for Spokane Valley Fire Commissioner in 2017
Work experience: As a teenager worked in a produce stand, sold flowers and was a roofer. Later, Chalich coached football, wrestling, baseball, basketball and tennis during a 49-year career at Central Valley High School. Originally a social studies and history teacher, over the course of time, Chalich says he put the emphasis on civics, government and the legal system. Also taught sociology, psychology and economics. Awards include Teacher of the Year and the 2009 Flame of Democracy award from the Washington State Bar Association for excellence in teaching civics and government.
Family: Raised in Spokane Valley, the youngest of seven. Married to Leslie. Has three grown sons.
Work background: Former teacher and sports coach at Central Valley High School for 49 years. Former member of Liberty Lake Property Owners Association. Won Flame of Democracy award from the Washington State Bar Association in 2009. Involved in watershed planning and development of trails.
Education: Graduated from Central Valley High School in 1963. Earned bachelor’s degree from Western Montana College of Education in 1968.
Family: Married to Leslie Chalich. Has three sons.
Complete Coverage
Spokane Valley Fire Commission candidates locked in close races
The races for two Spokane Valley Fire Commission Board seats are too close to call. Stan Chalich, 73, is leading incumbent Patrick Burch with 49.8 percent of the vote for Spokane Valley Fire Commissioner Position 1. Burch was appointed to the fire board of commissioners in 2016.
Contenders in Spokane Valley Fire Commission race focus on finances
For Spokane Valley Fire Board Commissioner Patrick Burch and challenger Stan Chalich, serving the community and ensuring the fire department’s financial longevity is a common goal. Burch, 54, was appointed to the fire board of commissioners in July 2016. Burch has more than nine years of community service experience within the fire department. He served on the Community Emergency Response Team and was a team leader with the Fire Corps, a volunteer group that provides firefighter support services.
Stan Chalich retires from CVHS after 49 years
Stan Chalich, a dedicated Spokane Valley teacher, is retiring from Central Valley High School after 49 years