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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wilhite is Valley mayor


Wilhite
 (The Spokesman-Review)

Diana Wilhite will be Spokane Valley’s next mayor.

The City Council elected Wilhite, 59, unanimously Tuesday night. No other council members were nominated for the top job.

On Nov. 26, she’ll take over for Mike DeVleming, who has served as mayor since the city’s first council was elected two years ago. He will remain on the City Council.

After being elected, Wilhite said filling DeVleming’s boots would be tough, “but my shoes can definitely make an imprint.”

Councilman Richard Munson was elected deputy mayor, so will fill in for Wilhite when she’s unavailable. The only other candidate in that race was Councilman Gary Schimmels.

Wilhite told a reporter she won’t encourage big changes in the direction the council is taking now on various issues, but she will lead with her own style.

She wants to smooth the city’s relationship with the Spokane County commissioners, which has been rocky at times as the new city has negotiated contracts for services. Wilhite has a head start on that goal. She said she has good relationships with the two incoming commissioners and at one time was current Commissioner Phil Harris’ campaign manager.

Spokane Valley has a council-manager form of government, so citizens don’t directly elect their mayor. Wilhite, like DeVleming, is a council member. She will have the same voting power as the other six council members.

The mayor acts as a ceremonial head of the city, but also often hears more feedback from citizens because of the visibility of the job. The mayor also is asked to attend more ribbon cuttings and community events than other council members. The mayor is paid $500 a month, while council members and the deputy mayor earn $400.

During his nomination of Wilhite, Councilman Mike Flanigan said that as mayor, “You walk out with an even bigger target on your back.”

Wilhite, who serves as deputy mayor now, is the lone woman on the council. She is a partner with her husband, Rick, in Safeguard Business Systems and Forms, a 24-year-old Spokane Valley company.

“I gained a mayor and lost a salesperson,” Rick joked Tuesday.

Rick said he was proud of his wife, and he said she successfully works one-on-one with people.

“She’s a negotiator, not a yeller,” he said.

The couple has a grown daughter, Shannon Wilhite, who lives in Northern California.

Wilhite’s term will end Dec. 31, 2005. A year from now, all the council seats will be up for election. After those individuals take over in January 2006, they will elect a new mayor who will serve for two years.

DeVleming’s father, wife and daughter watched the passing of the torch from the front row in council chambers Tuesday. A bouquet of yellow roses from an anonymous person awaited DeVleming at his seat when the meeting began.

“There was not a better person we could have picked out of this council to serve the first term of this city,” Flanigan said of DeVleming.

DeVleming said earlier this month he wouldn’t run for mayor again because, in part, he wants to spend more time with his family.