The Spokane community has a history of doing its best work when leaders work collaboratively. That's one reason that a recent trip to Bellingham, Washington, by a Spokane contingency is so encouraging. 

About 20 Spokane leaders, quietly and without fanfare, traveled to Western Washington last month to learn more about a successful bond measure passed in Whatcom County to finance construction of a new jail and related services. 

The takeaways from the visit will be important as public-safety advocates in Spokane regroup and  form a new strategy after the most recent effort, Measure 1, was soundly defeated. But first, let's take a moment to recognize those who are making an effort to find common ground on what has been a polarizing issue in the past. 

The Spokane group included about 20 people from the private sector, government, and nonprofit organizations. Those involved ranged from fierce advocates for Measure 1 to those who financially backed opposition of the measure. 

They chose to learn from leaders in Bellingham, because of some similar dynamics between the two communities. Both have a left-leaning city surrounded by a right-leaning county, and both have struggled to fund desperately needed new jails and related services. 

After two failed attempts to pass a bond for a new jail, advocates in Bellingham enjoyed a landslide victory—with about two-thirds of voters approving the measure—in passing a 0.2% sales tax increase.

What did Whatcom County do right? Emilie Cameron, CEO of the Downtown Spokane Partnership and one of the attendees, says politicians with differing outlooks in that city and county found common ground and a unified voice to support the measure. Then, those backers did a good job of soliciting input and incorporating that feedback into the mechanics of the proposal. 

While a ballot measure here likely will look different, Cameron says, it's essential for Spokane to take a similar approach. She adds that it was good for the delegation to be in the same place and hear the same thing. 

"Universally, there is a shared goal in that we want to address a real need in the community," she says.

Last fall, the Journal used this space to support Measure 1, which called for a 0.2% sales-tax increase similar to Bellingham. Even in our support, however, we encouraged elected leaders to reconsider their proposal to put the expanded jail near the Spokane County Courthouse, on the periphery of downtown. That location was a sticking point, even for some who supported the proposal. Perhaps with more community input, advocates can address location, as well as other points of concern. 

Regardless of the details, the visit is an encouraging step in moving such a measure forward. As Greater Spokane Incorporated CEO Alisha Benson points out, some of our community's biggest wins have come out of collaborative efforts: Expo '74, the Momentum economic-development effort, and formation of the University District, among others. 

"There’s so much this community has done and is doing with collaboration at the core," Benson says. Speaking of the trip, she adds, "I’ve left hopeful because we can do it and have done it."

There's still a lot to figure out, and such measures rarely go without some opposition. But the initial steps taken in this instance are encouraging, and the work of GSI, the DSP, and others to build consensus in name of improving Spokane shouldn't go unnoticed.