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After four years steering the City Council, Breean Beggs signs off

Outgoing Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs, left, is thanked by Spokane Airport CEO Larry Krauter, second from left, Spokane Airport Board Chair Nancy Voorhees and board secretary Jennifer West at the beginning of the council meeting Monday, July 10, 2023 in the Spokane City Council chambers at Spokane City Hall. It was Beggs last meeting as council president and there were a handful of tributes and salutes from people who worked with Beggs. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVI)
Outgoing Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs, left, is thanked by Spokane Airport CEO Larry Krauter, second from left, Spokane Airport Board Chair Nancy Voorhees and board secretary Jennifer West at the beginning of the council meeting Monday, July 10, 2023 in the Spokane City Council chambers at Spokane City Hall. It was Beggs last meeting as council president and there were a handful of tributes and salutes from people who worked with Beggs. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVI)
By Emry Dinman emryd@spokesman.com(509) 459-5472

Council President Breean Beggs has presided over his final Spokane City Council meeting.

Beggs’ voice broke Monday evening as he addressed the council members with whom he has served for years, in some cases for as long as he has held a seat on the City Council.

“I don’t know that people understand who aren’t in this group just how much we love this city and every person who lives in it, no matter who they are,” he said.

“We often disagree on the specific solution,” he added, “but we all agree that together we’re stronger.”

Beggs announced in March that he would not seek re-election, instead throwing his support behind Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson’s campaign to lead the City Council. At the time, he said that he had several possible plans for after he left the dais.

At the time, those plans didn’t include being appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee as a Spokane County Superior Court judge, he has said . But just such an appointment was announced on May 22. Beggs will replace Judge Michael Price, who retired July 1.

For the better part of two decades, the Whitworth University and University of Washington School of Law graduate and private civil rights attorney was involved in criminal justice advocacy even before taking an official position at Spokane City Hall.

Beggs has practiced law since 1991, largely focused on civil rights, personal injury and employment. He gained prominence when he served as the director of the Center for Justice from 2004 though 2010 and has been one an influential voice in Spokane on police reform issues. He represented the family of Otto Zehm in a lawsuit against the city that was settled out of court after Zehm died following a confrontation with Spokane police.

Beggs was first appointed in 2016 to fill a vacancy on the City Council and won re-election in 2017. In 2019, in the middle of his first full term, Beggs was elected council president.

When he was sworn in as council president, the remaining council members were tasked with filling his vacated seat representing District 2, which included most of the city south of the Spokane River. Beggs helped recruit political newcomer Wilkerson to fill that role, and she was appointed in 2020.

The remaining six City Council members will appoint a temporary successor to Beggs at their next meeting on July 17. Councilwoman Lori Kinnear, who serves as council president pro tem, is expected to be appointed to serve the remainder of Beggs’ term, which is up at the end of the year.

Though the city charter would allow the City Council to open up applications to members of the community, Kinnear has expressed skepticism that someone not already on council could get up to speed quickly enough to serve competently.

If appointed to fill the remainder of Beggs’ term, the City Council would then have to appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of Kinnear’s term, and that replacement would have to be a resident of Kinnear’s district, which includes most of Spokane south of the Spokane River.

The new City Council president would accept applications from residents and can unilaterally decide which to advance for public interviews. The full City Council would have to vote to approve a replacement for Kinnear.