Don't Forget to Vote - Ballots Mailed Out Last Week

If you haven't already, you should be receiving your ballot in the mail sometime soon. While many people might be tempted to sit this year out at the polls, we want to remind you of the effect this year's election could have on your business.

The City of Spokane will be electing a new mayor, city council president and 2 council members, while the City of the Valley also will be electing new council members. Most of our members do work in and with these two entities and we need to ensure that we elect business and development friendly candidates that will help keep Spokane moving forward.

The Inland Northwest AGC Board of Directors has made the following endorsements for the upcoming election. The candidates listed below have all shown strong support for business development and economic growth for our region:

City of Spokane:

1. Mayor: The AGC has endorsed both David Condon and Mary Verner.
2. City Council President: Dennis Hession
3. City Council, District 1, Position 1: Mike Fagan
4. City Council, District 2, Position 1: Mike Allen
5. City Council, District 3, Position 1: Steve Salvatori

City of Spokane Valley:

1. City Council, Position 2: Dean Graffos
2. City Council, Position 3: Arne Woodard
3. City Council, Position 6: Marilyn Cline 

Washington State Senate, District 4: Jeff Baxter

Also on this year's ballot are several local and statewide initiatives that could have a major effect on how you do business. To learn more about these proposed ballot measures, visit the Online Voters Guide:

Ballot Measures:

1. Proposition 1 - City of Spokane: Proposition to amend the city charter and create a community Bill of Rights. This is a scaled-down version of the same initiative voters rejected by 76% in 2009. The AGC feels this measure will destroy jobs, stifle job growth and promote hundreds of frivolous lawsuits. We strongly recommend you vote NO on Prop 1. OPPOSE
2. Initiative 1125 - Statewide: This Tim Eyeman backed initiative will limit the use of toll and gas tax revenues in Washington State and have an adverse effect on how we fund transportation projects. OPPOSE

Governor's Race: Although not on the ballot until next year, the Inland Northwest AGC was one of the first to endorse Attorney General Rob McKenna. Rob will be addressing our membership during the Annual Convention Breakfast on February 3, 2012 - mark your calendar today!

Save the Date - AGC Annual Convention

The AGC Annual Convention has been scheduled for February 2-3, 2012 at the Davenport Hotel/ Highlights of this year's convention include a full-day owners seminar to learn about upcoming projects in our region, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna will discuss his campaign for Governor and former Formula One Racer and ESPN commentator Derek Daly will keynote our awards luncheon.. Save the date and look for registration materials soon.