SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — An appeal has been filed by Spokane Valley City councilman Al Merkel after an investigation found he violated the Spokane Valley Governance Manual, according to the City of Spokane Valley.
According to the City of Spokane Valley, the city said Merkel is also "likely in violation of the Washington State Public Records Act."
At the Spokane Valley City Council meeting Tuesday night, council members unanimously voted that Merkel is not entitled to city-funded legal representation.
The city released a report of a third-party investigation into Merkel that found that he violated the Spokane Valley Governance Manual by "posting content related to the conduct of city government and/or his Councilmember duties on his personal Nextdoor account, rather than on an official City Councilmember account automatically archived for public records compliance," according to a press release sent by the city to media Wednesday afternoon.
Merkel appealed the investigator's findings on September 10. An appeal hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 24 at the Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers.
