SPOKANE, Wash. — For around a month, Spokane City Council had been discussing plans to censure Mayor Nadine Woodward. The resolution, originally backed by council members Zack Zappone and Betsy Wilkerson, came after the mayor appeared on stage during an August prayer event with ties to Christian nationalism.
Though during Monday night's vote, censure isn't exactly what happened.
"There was a little bit of concern the word "censure" sounded too much like "censor" and that it was censoring freedom of religion," Zappone said Tuesday. "And that is really nothing about what this measure did."
Zappone says the wording change came after discussion with council, many of whom felt the word "denounce" more closely aligned with what they wanted to do with the resolution. Council voted 4-3 Monday night to denounce Woodward for standing on stage alongside former Washington state representative Matt Shea. Shea was expelled from the state's Republican Caucus after an independent investigation found he had engaged in acts of domestic terrorism.
Zappone says while the wording is different, the overall sentiment of what council did is the same as censure.
"The mayor and her actions affiliated the city of Spokane with extremism and it added legitimacy to that extremism," he said. "This is simply saying we as a legislative body think that's wrong."
Mayor Woodward spoke to KREM 2 News Tuesday, saying the denouncement will have no impact on her role as mayor or reelection bid.
"When I walked up on that stage, I know there are people who think I should've walked right off of it. But, I was amongst 4,000 members of our faith community and we were there to pray," she said.
Woodward sticks by earlier statements she didn't know Shea would be at the event.
Though she says she will change one thing going forward.
"The one thing I could've done differently was to vet out the event more, but I was invited by a friend so I didn't ask as many questions. I will next time," she said.
Zappone says while there's no official consequences for the mayor from the denouncement, it was a necessary signal to the community. Hate is not tolerated.
Zappone points to recent events, like graffiti on a rainbow crosswalk in the Perry District and the arrest of dozens of Patriot Front members near Coeur d'Alene Pride last year, as evidence of extremism in the area.
"As I was leaving [Monday's meeting] I heard people who testified in support who came from Matt Shea's church say, 'We almost had it, it was close.' And that's really unfortunate because they believe they're close to changing the tide here in Spokane," Zappone said.
Three council members voted against the resolution, including Jonathan Bingle, who has been censured in the past. He said Monday, council had failed to condemn people in the past, such as community members who used hateful speech against police officers or people who personally threatened him for not wearing a mask in city hall.
"I don't believe we're consistent in this and that's why I believe it's a nakedly political move," Bingle said.
Mayor Woodward agreed the move was political and said it's been a distraction from issues constituents she's heard from care about.
She also says her appearance at the event had nothing to do with her own political or ideological views; she says people only have to look at the diversity of her cabinet to see that.
"The first person I brought into the mayor's office was a member of the LGBTQ+ community," Woodward said. "I'm married to diversity, so to link me to some of the ideology is preposterous."
Monday's resolution comes with no formal reprimand or repercussions for the mayor.
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