The Current
8 • DECEMBER 2013
NEWS
Rockford prepares for change after Meyer defeats Harnois in mayor’s race By Craig Howard
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
Last month, 107 of Rockford’s 273 registered voters cast ballots for Steve Meyer in the town’s race for mayor. Incumbent Micki Harnois received only 57. These days, Harnois is still trying to make sense of the margin. “I was very surprised and disappointed,” said Harnois, who served eight years on Rockford’s Town Council before becoming the town’s first female mayor in 2010. Since his victory, Meyer has been quick to admit he “doesn’t have all the answers” and maintains the general election vote was less about personalities than it was about citizens wanting a new direction. He was also expecting a closer vote. “If that election would have been won by either side by 10 votes or less, I wouldn’t have been a bit surprised.” Meyer said. “People didn’t vote the way they did just for me. It was a vote of change. It’s not a vote against any one person, and Micki shouldn’t take it personally.” A retiree from the Washington State Department of Transportation, Meyer had served on the council for more than seven years when he walked away from City Hall this May. “I didn’t resign because I was mad or anything else,” Meyer said. “I just felt like I could do something better than sit on that council.” Part of Meyer’s frustration involved Rockford’s most recent contract with the Spokane County Sheriff ’s Office. Toward the end of last year, Meyer and his colleagues on council resolved that they did not want to renew the agreement with the department for 2013. Meyer said council asked Harnois to write a letter to Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich indicating the governing board’s decision. Harnois said she was scheduled to meet with Knezovich three days into the New Year. By that time, it was too late — the contract was in place.
NOV. 5 ELECTION RESULTS City of Liberty Lake
Council Position No. 1 Debbi J. Haskins 43.17 Lori Olander 56.13 Council Position No. 2 Hugh Severs 56.27 Jeff Sitton 42.99 Council Position No. 4 Odin Langford 53.36 Mike Tedesco 46.09
City of Millwood Mayor Kevin M. Freeman Dennis Hamlin
70.25 28.79
Town of Rockford Mayor Micki L. Harnois Steve Meyer
33.73 63.31
Council Position No. 1 Steven Lyle Christman 29.73 David Thompson 68.92 Council Position No. 5 Robert Tollefson 71.07 Chuck Collison 28.93
City of Spokane Valley Council Position No.1 Rod Higgins 51.64 Linda J. Thompson 47.50
CURRENT PHOTO BY CRAIG HOWARD
In November, Steve Meyer was elected to serve as the new mayor of Rockford. He will take office in January. “People are saying that’s most of the reason I didn’t win,” Harnois said. Meyer has expressed concerns about the cost of the contract compared to the coverage. He has raised the idea of the town hiring a constable while keeping judicial ties with Spokane County, similar to what the town of Rosalia does in Whitman County. “We’re paying around $30,000 a year for the Sheriff ’s contract,” Meyer said. “From what I see, we have not gained any better protection with the contract. Our taxes already pay for a certain amount of protection without a contract. I have talked to Ozzie quite a bit and basically told him, ‘I’m not against it. We just can’t afford it.’” Meyer has been critical of the way Harnois has approached the
budget, especially the way the town has tapped into its savings. For her part, the mayor says, “it hasn’t been like we were spending left and right.” Earlier this year, council and mayor compensation was eliminated as a way to save money. “The staff and council have been very conscious of spending,” Harnois said. As residents of the town prepare for the adjustment from Harnois to Meyer, many, like Mary-Lou Benson, are emphasizing a wait-and-see approach. “I’m going to withhold any opinions until I attend a few council meetings,” said Benson, who serves on the board of the Rockford Community Center. “I have high hopes. I just want to wait and see what Steve’s philosophy is in running the town.” Robert Tollefson, an appoin-
tee to the City Council in October, defeated Chuck Collison in the general election. He said Harnois is “well-respected” and deserves credit for the time she dedicated to the town. As for the transition in the mayor’s office, Tollefson said, “it really shouldn’t be a big deal.” “Micki and Steve are both good people,” he said. “They just have different management styles.” Meyer will face a few uphill battles when he takes over in January, starting with the need to repair the town’s wastewater treatment system. Even with the state Department of Ecology offering to help fund the $1.6 million project with a low-interest loan and a grant, the project will likely mean an increase in utility rates.
See MAYOR, page 10
Council Position No. 4 Ed Pace 51.03 Gary Schimmels 48.02 Council Position No. 5 Chuck Hafner 65.35 Donald (Don) Morgan Jr. 33.53 Council Position No. 7 Bill Bates 64.81 Fred Beaulac 34.01
East Valley School District
Director District No. 3 Heidi Gillingham 47.72 Justin Voelker 51.21 Director District No. 4 Fred Helms 58.63 Kerri Lunstroth 40.30 Director District No. 5 Deanna L. Ervin 45.34 Mike Novakovich 53.56
Spokane Valley Fire District
Commissioner Position No. 2 Michael DeVleming 49.17 Ronald (Ron) Schmidt 49.73