Kate Burke won't seek second term on Spokane City Council - The Spokesman-Review

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Spokane City Councilwoman Kate Burke won’t seek a second term on the Spokane City Council .

Burke, an a stalwart progressive, was first elected to a four-year term representing the city’s politically inscrutable northeast district in 2017.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Burke wrote that she is “grateful for the opportunity to serve during this pivotal time in our city’s history and firmly believe our work has positively contributed to a brighter future.”

“I am also confident that I can most effectively contribute to this work by making space for others,” Burke wrote. 

Burke’s departure leaves the race for her seat in November wide open.

Thus far, the only other candidate to register with the state Public Disclosure Commission for District 1, Position 2 is Jonathan Bingle, an entrepreneur who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2019. 

During her time in office, Burke has been widely viewed as the most progressive on a City Council with a consistent majority that is politically left-of-center. 

She has been a regular and vocal critic of the city’s response to homelessness, particularly its enforcement of laws prohibiting camping on public property and sitting or lying on downtown sidewalks during the daytime. 

In 2018, she joined other activists who chained themselves together in front of “Camp Hope,” an encampment erected in front of Spokane City Hall in protest of the city’s camping and sit-lie laws. 

Last year, she laboriously shepherded the narrow passage of a new law that will prohibit the use of “Mosquito” devices, which emit a shrill noise intended to disperse young people and the homeless from public spaces. 

Last year, she proposed a bill to effectively eliminate the city utility bills charged to homeless shelter providers. The proposal was ultimately shelved. 

She clashed, at times, with other members of the City Council, including former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart. In 2018, she asked the city’s human resources department to investigate if Stuckart had bullied her from the dais. 

Burke also sought to increase participation in government, regularly support public input in the council’s legislative process. 

Last year, Burke supported the creation of the city’s Flag Commission, which is currently reviewing proposals the first new city flag in more than 40 years. 

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Kate Burke won't seek second term on Spokane City Council - The Spokesman-Review
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