Electric City takes formal stance against consolidation 

The Electric City Council took a formal stance last week against the idea of consolidating their city with Grand Coulee.

Mayor Diane Kohout told the council that because of a renewed interest in the topic of consolidation, and multiple residents asking about it, she would like the council to say whether they support the idea.

Councilmember Cheryl Hoffman, formerly a member of a committee for consolidation, said that although she likes the idea of consolidation in theory, in practice it is not so practical.

Councilmember Brian Buche said of all the people who have spoken to him, none are interested in the idea. 

Councilmember Don Redfield said that some people have expressed interest in it to him. He noted that recent discussions around consolidating local ambulance and fire services are supported, and that those are good ideas to pursue, but that the cities, themselves, aren’t ready to be consolidated.

The group had previously expressed support towards consolidating local fire departments as well as forming an Emergency Medical Services district.

Were consolidation of the towns to be put on a ballot, it would be the voters who would decide whether Electric City and Grand Coulee would consolidate, regardless of how a city council felt about the matter; consolidation would happen anyway if passed by the voters.

An effort to put that measure on a ballot lost steam in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Area resident Bob Valen commented on a recent Star article about forming an EMS district, and spoke about consolidation of not just Grand Coulee and Electric City, but Coulee Dam and Elmer City, as well.

“One day, the elected leaders of the four satellite communities will come to the realization that, for the good of the broader population as a whole, it would be wise to become one,” he wrote. “A stronger, consolidated voice would be preferred to four small voices. Elected leaders of County, State and Federal governments always hear and listen to the stronger voices.”