SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County's primary election is coming up on Aug. 1, 2023. Some of the key Spokane County races include the city of Spokane mayor, Spokane City Council president and multiple Spokane City Council seats. KREM 2's Chief Journalist Amanda Roley sat down with candidate Patrick McKann over tea to learn where he stands on important issues.
To learn more about Spokane County's primary election, click here.
Amanda Roley
Patrick McKann, thank you for joining me on The Tea with Amanda Roley. Love having you here so we can talk through your campaign. Thanks for joining me.
Patrick McKann
Thanks for having me.
Amanda Roley
Well, we both have the tea, and I have the questions. So we'll have you spill the tea on who you are in just a second. But first of all, let's find out what tea did you decide to drink today?
Patrick McKann
I had a green tea because I'm already over-caffeinated.
Amanda Roley
Tell me why you decided to run for Spokane mayor.
Patrick McKann
I decided to run because just as a regular citizen, I found increasingly over the past couple of years that the city bureaucracy was completely out of touch with people who who live in neighborhoods and pay the taxes.
Amanda Roley
How so?
Patrick McKann
The speeding has gotten so bad in our neighborhood that we're basically afraid to let our kids go visit friends. The street is completely unregulated. No speed limit signs. We just figured the city didn't know there was a problem there, so we let them know. Five years later, I found myself running for mayor because there has been absolutely zero action.
Amanda Roley
Tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do for a living?
Patrick McKann
Everyone seems to brand me as the yurt maker candidate.
Amanda Roley
I've heard that! You're a yurt maker.
Patrick McKann
It's true. I do build yurts. I do have a small company to do that.
Amanda Roley
How would you say your experience in education as a wildlife biologist, a research analyst and an up-and-coming business owner, how has that prepared you potentially to be Spokane's next mayor?
Patrick McKann
I just want people to know that I do have this mathematical side of me, an analytical side of me. What is more important is that I plan on returning the bureaucracy to the average person.
Amanda Roley
What does that mean?
Patrick McKann
As mayor, I would want to personally attend neighborhood councils because that is the most grassroots part of our city democracy
Amanda Roley
Camp Hope. I want to hear, what is your take on how things were handled from the encampment's formation to its closure?
Patrick McKann
Anything that big can't be allowed to happen anymore. However, I did think it was better than them sleeping in parks. It was better than them sleeping downtown. So essentially, I just think we need to stop pretending that this homeless issue is gonna go away.
Amanda Roley
Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl. Do you think the chief was justified in giving these downtown business owners this level of access and information that he did?
Patrick McKann
In a sense, I feel like the access and the information that he provided to them should be available to everybody in Spokane.
Amanda Roley
Would you have initiated an investigation into Chief Meidl?
Patrick McKann
Yes. I mean, I don't know Chief Meidl personally. I would love to meet him. I would love to hear more about this situation. I advocate for total transparency of the police department.
Amanda Roley
Patrick, thank you so much for joining me here and spilling the tea on who you are.
Patrick: McKann
Thank you.
To watch the extended interview with Patrick McKann, use the player below:
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