Latest news with #MichaelCathcart
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spokane Councilman Michael Cathcart announces 2026 bid for county auditor
May 28—Spokane City Councilman Michael Cathcart will run for Spokane County Auditor in 2026, cutting his current term short if he were to win, he announced Wednesday evening. The auditor's office manages many county services, such as keeping records of marriage licenses, liens, mortgages and deeds, but its most high-profile role — increasingly so in recent years — is managing elections. "I'm entering this race with respect for the work that's been done, but also with a firm belief that this is an opportunity for new leadership and the moment to really shine a light," Cathcart wrote in a news release. "I'm now looking forward to meeting with voters directly to listen to concerns, and understand how the office can best serve them." The Republican has earned the endorsement of the incumbent, Vicky Dalton, who is notably the only countywide-elected Democrat. Dalton announced in 2023 she would not seek another term after what will be 28 years on the job by the time she leaves. "I'm absolutely thrilled Michael is running," Dalton said in a brief interview Wednesday. "I'm crossing party lines, but it's been about the service the office provides, and that's how I look at it — it's not whether you're Democrat or Republican, but are you a person who can manage those services and lead that office? "And I think Michael is more than capable of managing that office and providing that leadership." Raised in Spokane, Cathcart left briefly to attend college at Montana State University, where he graduated with a degree in motion picture arts. He worked for a time for KHQ in video production, before leaving to work as an aide for then-state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, who was elected to Congress in November. Cathcart was elected to the Spokane City Council in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, and has served as council president pro tem. He ran unsuccessfully for Spokane County Commissioner in 2022. On the council, Cathcart led bipartisan efforts to make the city's budgeting process more transparent, advocated to criminalize public drug use during a lapse in state law, worked on a successful citizens initiative to limit the council's ability to draw its own voting districts and pushed for greater non-English language access to city services.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spokane City Council declines to reinstate Prop 1 after state Supreme Court strikes it down
Apr. 21—The Spokane City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to not move forward with reinstating Proposition 1, the anti-homeless camping law approved overwhelmingly by voters that was struck down by the Washington Supreme Court on Thursday. Proposition 1, supported by 75% of voters in 2023, banned any camping within 1,000 feet of parks, schools and licensed daycare facilities, making violations a cite-and-release misdemeanor offense. The state Supreme Court's majority ruling argued the proposition had gone outside the legal bounds for a local initiative, though did not make a ruling on the merits of the law, leaving it open for the City Council to reinstate the law through ordinance. Councilman Michael Cathcart called for a suspension of council rules to allow the quick consideration of an ordinance that would have reintroduced Proposition 1's provisions verbatim into city code. Council members Jonathan Bingle and Zack Zappone joined him in voting for the expedited process. Councilwoman Kitty Klitzke suggested that council members should wait for guidance from police leadership due Wednesday on possible modifications to the law before reintroducing some variation for council consideration. "The day after (Prop 1) was overturned, I met with my precinct captain, and I asked, what would you do if you were able to write this law, if we had to do it over again?" Klitzke said. "I would really like to be able to hear feedback from them and draft something that really works, and possibly has a broader scope." Cathcart said he would be willing to consider modifications of Proposition 1 — after the council wrote it back into city law. "We are at a point at time where the public expects this law is on the books, and to not reimplement when we have the power to do so is disrespectful to them," Cathcart said. Councilman Paul Dillon argued that the popularity of the law should not guide whether the council reimplements it. He noted that there is ongoing litigation on the merits of the law and also called for significant modifications before something comes before the council for a vote.
