COVER STORY

“In my view, there’s nothing the city needs that it can’t buy off the shelf,” Herman wrote. “Trying to provide those services inhouse means starting a serious of bureaucracies. Bureaucracies start out innocently enough, but then they develop voracious appetites for money and personnel, after which they develop labor pains.”

A city council election was held in November 2002 and everyone wanted to be a part of the new city. Mike DeVleming, who would become Spokane Valley’s first mayor, recalls that 49 people filed to run for a city council seat. In addition to campaigning, he had to pay attention to the various transition committees.

“There were a lot of transition committees that a lot of us were trying to attend,” he said.

DeVleming said he wasn’t involved in any of the incorporation efforts, but he watched them closely. He thinks it was a belief that the City of Spokane was going to try to attempt to annex a lucrative business area centered on East Sprague that helped convince voters that the time was right to incorporate.

“There was kind of a vibe that hey, this might pass this time,” he said.

Once it did pass, he decided to run for city council because he wanted a role in determining the direction of the new city, DeVleming said.

The first elected council members were DeVleming, Diana Wilhite, Steve Taylor, Gary Schimmels, Rich Munson, Mike Flanigan and Dick Denenny. “It was my first experience being an elected official,” DeVleming said. “It was a huge learning curve.”

By the time the city officially incorporated, Driskell was working as a public defender. He was soon hired to be the new city’s first staff attorney. He remained with the city until retiring earlier this year. During his 20 years with the city, Driskell helped shape everything from nuisance codes to development regulations.

“I’ve written probably around 50 percent, but contributed to the rest,” he said. “I think all of it I’ve been involved in.”

Though the incorporation effort was successful, for a few years there was an effort from some to get the city to disincorporate. “They didn’t get much traction,” Singleton said. If being a city was a bad thing, why are there so many cities?”

Dean Grafos, a real estate developer and businessman, was initially against incorporation. He wasn’t sure the city could be financially viable. “Initially I thought It was best that we stayed under the county,” he said.

Grafos was a vocal part of the disincorporation effort before he won a seat on the city council and then served as mayor. He said that he decided that if the city was going to stay incorporated, he wanted to make sure it was done right. “I felt it was in the interest of the taxpayers that we had regulations that were friendly to property owners,” he said.

Since incorporation Spokane Valley has had eight mayors. All but two served only a single twoyear term. Mike DeVleming, a

See 20th ANNIVERSARY, Page 13

The exceptional is the norm for Tina Ngo. The senior at East Valley High School maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society. Ngo is a Spokane Scholar nominee in English. She is captain of the EV Knowledge Bowl team and is also part of a History Bowl squad that qualified for state. Competing as a “Mathlete” Ngo was named Best in School. She has also participated in band and tennis and is currently enrolled in four AP classes. “It takes a lot of studying outside school,” Ngo says of her club involvement. “What I like best is the sense of community and working with other people toward a common goal.” Ngo has volunteered with Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Habitat for Humanity. She plans on studying applied math and chemistry in college.

In the land of the Knights, Devin Pierce has displayed uncommon valor. The junior at East Valley High School recently placed third at the state wrestling meet in the 170-pound weight class after going undefeated in the Greater Spokane League and finishing first in the district meet and second at regionals. He was co-captain of the wrestling squad and went undefeated at the prestigious River City Duals and took fifth at the Tri-State tournament. He qualified for the Mat Classic as a sophomore. Pierce is a two-year letterwinner in soccer where he is also a cocaptain. He was part of a Washington East club team that took third in league last year. He competed in cross country as a freshman and sophomore. In the classroom, Pierce maintains a 3.5 grade point average and is a member of National Honor Society.

Being a good neighbor is routine for Renee Norris. The longtime Spokane Valley resident works as a lead Rapid Rehousing Case manager for Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, helping families transition from homelessness to permanent housing. She worked for Family Promise of Spokane, a nonprofit dedicated to ending family homelessness, for eight years prior to joining CCEW. Norris has served on the planning team for Homeless Connect since 2012 and is also part of the leadership team with the Greater Valley Support Network. She served on the board of Mission Community Outreach Center and volunteers in several roles with Spokane Valley United Methodist Church. Norris also volunteers with Breast Intentions, a nonprofit that provides bras for lowincome women. Renee and her husband Paul have been married for 36 years. They are proud parents of two grown daughters, Katee and Ali.