Ciudad de Cheney

Rebecca Long is running for Position 2 on the Cheney City Council. Long is a software engineering manager working on corporate decarbonization to create a more sustainable economy. She is exceptionally involved in the tech community, including serving as a computer science career mentor for Eastern Washington University students, the founder of the Spokane Geek Girls community, and the president and founder of Future Ada, a nonprofit focused on diversity and inclusion in STEAM. Outside of tech, Long is a coordinator and founding member of Cheney Cohousing and a board member for the Spokane National Organization for Women.

Long is running on a very progressive platform to build a thriving, sustainable Cheney, where housing options are accessible to working people, businesses can grow, and small town qualities can be embraced. If elected, she wants to revitalize the downtown area, modernize infrastructure and zoning, invest in more housing options, and strengthen the relationship between Eastern Washington University and the city. She wants to leverage her knowledge of technology and her experience in connecting the community together to bring innovative, responsive leadership to the council. 

Long is challenging incumbent Vincent Barthels, who was appointed in 2019 and retained in 2020. Outside of elected office, Barthels works for a private civil engineering firm and has spent his career in environmental consulting. While he has been a strong advocate for a sustainable future in Cheney, his platform is not nearly as progressive as Long’s.

Cheney deserves bold action to achieve a better future for all residents. We recommend Rebecca Long for Cheney City Council, Position 2.
 

Adjunct professor Jacquelyn Belock is running for Cheney City Council, Position 6 on a progressive platform that seeks to improve life for all in the city. As a mom who serves as vice-chair of the Cheney Planning Commission, Belock has unique insight into how to engage the community with local government.

Belock's work on the planning commission has aimed to make sensible zoning reform that allows for more than just expensive single-family homes. Securing more types of housing, more affordable housing, and pushing back against big developers has been a huge part of her work in the community, including speaking up for residents of the threatened trailer park. 

If elected, Belock wants to lead the city in making improvements for people walking and rolling in our neighborhoods. She knows the community needs to update water infrastructure due to aging and outdated reservoirs. She's also excited to expand recreational spaces so that everyone can access spaces to thrive and play.

Her opponent, Ag Enterprise Supply worker Pete Montague, states that he's not running with a specific agenda and just wants to give back to the community. In comparison to Belock's strong pro-worker stance, Montague says that he is not pro- or anti-union, and believes that fighting or striking for better rights is sometimes "selfish." He lists no elected or community leadership experience in his official voter pamphlet statement and has no website or social media to take a closer look at his agenda as of mid-October.

Belock is engaged and excited to work for the community with her progressive platform. She is by far the best choice for Cheney City Council, Position 6.