Spokane Valley spat may erode public records rules

Spokane Valley spat may erode public records rules

Al Merkel, a member of the Spokane Valley City Council, was the subject of an independent investigation that concluded he had violated the city’s standards of decorum in dealing with other officials and staffers. The conflict has prompted legislation that would further obscure the identities of victims and witnesses when records from such investigations are released to the public. Photo by Erick Doxey for InvestigateWest. A Report for America co…