City's Initiative Process Gets a Makeover Print E-mail
aerialCouncil votes 4-3 in effort to avoid confusions on ballot

The initiative process in the City of Spokane will look a little different this year. The Spokane City Council voted 4-3 in favor of revamping the process to allow the city attorney's office to write initiative ballot summaries instead of the group bringing the initiative to the ballot. Council members voting for the changes say this will provide truthful ballot initiatives and avoid voter confusion.

Council member Steve Salvatori - one of two sponsors of the measure - said the new process mirrors those of other cities in the state.

Opponents of the changes say the new process, "is going to curtail the right of citizens to go directly to the voters for signatures," according to The Spokesman-Review.