Spokane, Idaho city face merger deadline

POST FALLS, Idaho — The federal government wants to know by the end of this month if Spokane and Coeur d'Alene want to get married in the eyes of Uncle Sam.

The two communities have until Nov. 29 to endorse or oppose a proposal to create a new Combined Statistical Area of more than 500,000 people for the purposes of government record-keeping.

While officials in Coeur d'Alene are worried that their city's identity will be lost, leaders of Spokane County are pushing hard for the new designation, saying it will raise the region's profile nationally and help lure new jobs.

"We have yet to hear a good business argument against this designation," said Jeff Selle of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce at a meeting here Wednesday.

The two communities — just 30 miles apart in separate states — are now separate metropolitan areas. Kootenai County had a population of 108,000 in the 2000 Census, while Spokane County had 417,000 people.

The combined population of 525,000 would vault the communities ahead of the Boise, Idaho, and Colorado Springs, Colo., metropolitan areas — major competitors with Spokane for jobs — and ensure the Spokane area remains among the nation's top 100 communities in population.

Supporters contend the 500,000 threshold is key to attracting the attention of large businesses seeking to move or expand.

"We will make the initial list for companies seeking to hire 1,000 people or more," Selle said.

Don Schjeldahl of The Austin Co. in Cleveland, which has helped hundreds of corporations select new sites, told people at Wednesday's meeting that for all intents and purposes the two communities are already combined.

"Spokane has no great identity in the country," Schjeldahl said. "To differentiate Spokane from Kootenai County is unthinkable."

Spokane business executive Chris Marr noted that on Tuesday he picked up some people at Spokane International Airport and drove them to the Wolf Lodge in Coeur d'Alene for dinner.

"Every day is a regional day," Marr said.

At a public meeting in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday evening, city leaders said they need more information before approving a merger.

"I can certainly see the benefit to Spokane to combine, but I'm real foggy on the benefit to Coeur d'Alene," said Dixie Reid, Coeur d'Alene City Councilwoman.