Airway Heights council seeks to fill vacant seats

CHENEY- Looking for replacements to fill the voids left by resigning council members Art Bubb and Sonny Weathers, the Airway Heights City Council, conducted three public interviews Monday to determine who will fill the two vacant seats.

The interviews consisted of questions concerning what the candidates envision for Airway Heights in the next five years, what policies they would keep or change, how they would handle disagreements in the council chamber and where they would increase or decrease funding in the budget.

Local minister, educator and Air Force veteran Andre Dove stepped up to the podium first, stating his vision for Airway Heights. 

"I've really been thinking of this idea of Airway Heights being a city that inspires you to dream beyond your present circumstance," he said. "And as a 20 year educator, what I would like to see is not just a middle school, but a high school," 

Hank Bynaker, a former shipping operations manager who now sits on the Airway Heights planning commission, brought a more laid-back tone as he answered questions, noting when a topic was outside his wheelhouse. 

When asked three qualities a council member should have, he stated that they should be a good listener, maintain decorum and keep the people's will in mind when making collective decisions. 

"I think our professional decorum, how we meet the public and how we conduct ourselves in the meeting, we don't attack anybody or make fun of anybody's ideas-I think that's really important," Bynaker said. 

The third candidate interviewed was Kevin Richey, the city's former mayor, who served in that role from 2016-2020 and on the city council from 2008-2011. Ritchey also holds a senior position in the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

When asked what policies he would change, Richey joked that he had a hand in many of the policies that are currently in place. On teamwork and collective decisions, he recalled his time as mayor. 

"During my tenure, I lowered the mayor salary and raised the council's salary, trying to get things more equal," Richey said, highlighting the importance of every member feels that they have an equal voice in the legislative process.

The city council began deliberating after Monday's session and expects a decision on Monday, July 18.