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VOTE411 Voter Guide

Spokane CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY Council Position No. 1

 The city council sets the general policies of the city, which are implemented by the city manager and staff. The council s main duties include the adoption of policies and the enactment of the city s annual budget. The council sets fiscal policies and approves all spending, whether for operations or capital items or public facility maintenance and improvements. The council also sets salaries for city employees.

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  • Candidate picture

    Mike Kelly
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Lisa Miller
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Kristopher Pockell
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Adam Smith
    (NP)

Biographical Information

How do you plan on interacting with the citizens of your city?

What should your city/town’s role be in dealing with environmental issues?

What is your record of public service?

How do you think your city/town should respond to homelessness?

How would you describe your vision for your city?

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Phone (509)799-6100
Email LMiller4you@yahoo.com
YouTube Video https://youtube.com/shorts/pSudXLgyJAs
Town where you live Spokane Valley
Experience (300 characters max) A seasoned legal professional, small business advocate, and community leader, Lisa Miller offers a fresh and thoughtful voice to Spokane Valley. With a Juris Doctorate and a Bachelor of Arts, Lisa brings a deep understanding of law, fiscal policy, and governance. Her service as an arbitrator, hearin
I have email that I and my staff actively monitor. We respond within no more than 36 hours, but usually in 24 hours or less. I push messages to email list participants at least weekly, if not more often, to maintain transparency. I have a local cellphone number which is completely public. It appears on my website and all my campaign literature. This cell phone number rings in my purse. I answer from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM M-F. I maintain a website with full contact capabilities. I and my staff actively monitor all website activity. We update content at least weekly. I maintain a Facebook page. My staff updates content multiple times each week. We respond to messages within 36 hours, generally.
What should your city/town’s role be in dealing with environmental issues? I am sensitive to over-regulation, but mindful of the role recreational outdoor tourism plays in our local economy. I strive to balance thoughtful, streamlined regulations that protect environmental tourism with sensitivity to protecting businesses from overly burdensome regulations. This requires listening carefully to all stakeholders. I am especially focused on the Spokane River and all that it offers. I am deeply involved in monitoring water quality and am certified by the Spokane County Sheriff's department as a Certified Safe Boater. I would like to introduce green space on Sprague in Spokane Valley to make this destination more appealing to families. This is expected to support small businesses on Sprague and ultimately help fill out our tax base.
What is your record of public service? I am a Hearing Officer for the Spokane County Board of Equalization. I am now in my second year of service and have completed all required training. My areas of sub-specialization include farms and farmland, and structures listed on historic registries. I am an appointed member of the Spokane Valley Homeless Task Force. Because we are a "contract city," I developed an updated contract clause matrix for the City contracting function to consider when we are developing contract terms for homeless services. I am happy to provide this overview if that would be helpful to the League of Women Voters to help understand my candidacy. I have been a government lawyer for many years. I prosecuted labor violations at the federal level, I was Acting General Counsel for the largest community college system in the US, I served 10 terms as a Commissioner on the Small Business Commission in Los Angeles, where I served as Education Chair, I was the sole hearing
This is a public health and safety issue. We need a unified policy, not a patchwork system, to protect everyone from public health and safety threats. We need to provide basic services on the 1st floor at a few, appropriate locations in light industrial areas. We need to house unhoused individuals on the upper floors in single room occupancy settings. We need to identify, secure IDs for, and move veterans to federally supported programs and locations. We should follow San Jose's example and offer individuals three chances at necessary services (rehab, detox, other). If they are unwilling to participate in services, after three opportunities, they should be cited as appropriate for relevant violations and taken into custody, where services are provided with or without consent. Housing should be humane, but does not need to be more than that. Patchwork provision of services to the homeless is not supportive of an overall healthy city.
Economic growth across all sectors by working with stakeholders. We need to achieve this through thoughtful, streamlined regulations, sensible local tax policy, advocacy in Olympia, and respectful interactions that allow all aspects of the issues to be seen and heard.
Phone ‪(509) 255-3931‬
Email vote@votepockell.com
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9JXzdGKgv8
Town where you live Spokane Valley
Experience (300 characters max) I am a Software Engineering Manager for a local company, the owner of a local hot sauce manufacturing company, and a real estate investor. Previously worked as a machinist for various local manufacturing companies and as a legal assistant in estate planning and asset protection law.
I believe public service starts with listening. If elected, I plan to be an accessible and responsive councilmember. That means attending neighborhood meetings, holding regular open office hours, and being available by phone, email, and social media. I’ll actively seek out community input, so that the voices of Spokane Valley residents help guide the decisions we make, and I plan to do this year-round not just during crises or hearings. Too often, people feel like government happens to them instead of with them. I want to change that by building a two-way relationship based on trust, transparency, and accountability.
The City of Spokane Valley has a responsibility to be a good steward of our environment while balancing the needs of residents and businesses. That means protecting our natural resources, like the Spokane River and aquifer. We can do this through smart development, responsible land use, and investment in infrastructure that reduces pollution and improves resilience. Environmental issues don’t have to be partisan. Things like clean air, clean water, and a healthy community benefit everyone. The city should lead by example by prioritizing energy-efficient buildings, supporting sustainable transportation options, and partnering with local organizations to reduce waste and wildfire risk. We can make meaningful progress through practical, local solutions that respect both our environment and our economy.
I’ve been a resident of Spokane Valley for nearly my whole life. I grew up here and graduated from Central Valley in 2006. I love the Valley, and I know its history well. My public service has taken shape through hands-on community involvement and leadership in the private sector. I’ve spent years mentoring junior engineers and leading teams with a focus on accountability and service. As a lifelong Spokane Valley resident, I’ve supported local small businesses, and started a few of my own. As a small business owner, I do everything I can to help support local charities through donations and fund-raisers. I’ve volunteered at local schools, and personally donate to the causes I support, like the Hutton Settlement and Partners in Health.
Spokane Valley needs a balanced, solutions-focused approach to homelessness. An approach that addresses both immediate needs and long-term causes. That means partnering with service providers to expand access to mental health care, addiction treatment, and transitional housing. It also means working regionally to ensure Spokane Valley does its part without taking on more than its share. We should prioritize programs that help people get off the street and back on their feet, while also enforcing reasonable public safety standards. Homelessness is complex, but ignoring it or pushing it elsewhere isn’t a solution. We need to act with both compassion and accountability. Continuing to grow our homeless outreach and social worker co-response efforts in partnership with local law enforcement will be key in helping get people off the street and back on their feet.
My vision for Spokane Valley is a community that’s safe, affordable, and built to last. I want a city where families can afford to live, small businesses can thrive, and infrastructure keeps up with growth. That means investing in public safety, supporting attainable housing at all income levels, and planning smartly for the future, without losing the character that makes Spokane Valley special. I see a city where local government listens, works collaboratively, and focuses on real results, not political drama. My goal is to help Spokane Valley grow responsibly while staying a place people are proud to call home.
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