Michael Cathcart
Republican · WA · Spokane City Council Member, District 1
Michael Cathcart serves as a Spokane City Council member for District 1 and was first elected in 2019. His background includes public-policy and legislative-aide work, and he earned a bachelor's degree from Montana State University.
Where Michael Cathcart stands, based on their records
Supports
Anti-Corruption (1 record), Government Efficiency (2 records), Election Integrity (2 records)
Opposes
Corporate Accountability (1 record)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (8 support · 3 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption · 1 support
Voted yes as the Spokane City Council unanimously approved changes to the city's ethics rules for officials (Ordinance C36838).
March 2, 2026Supports Anti-Corruption
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — Government Efficiency
Government Efficiency · 2 support
Voted yes on Resolution 2025-0051 directing the city to build a data-driven and transparent procurement process to widen participation by qualified small, minority, women, and veteran owned businesses.
July 28, 2025Supports Government Efficiency
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted yes on Resolution 2023-0077 requesting a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design audit of the Monroe Street Bridge.
September 11, 2023Supports Government Efficiency
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 8 support · 3 oppose
Voted no on Resolution 2026-0034 backing a proposed August 2026 Spokane Transit Authority ballot initiative to reauthorize the agency's 0.2 percent sales tax rate.
April 27, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on final reading of Ordinance C36772 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2026.
November 3, 2025Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted yes on Resolution 2025-0026 referring to voters a twenty-year property tax levy lid lift for park renovations, additional park rangers and citywide park safety.
May 5, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on Ordinance C36599 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2025.
November 4, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on Resolution 2024-0095, the City Council's statement of support for City of Spokane Proposition 1, the Community Safety Sales Tax on the November 2024 ballot.
October 14, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted yes on Resolutions 2023-0094 and 2023-0095 referring two property tax levy lid lift propositions to Spokane voters, and yes on Ordinance C36468 amending the city utility tax code.
December 4, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on Ordinance C36460 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2024.
November 13, 2023Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on Ordinance C36307 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2023, a levy the mayor later vetoed.
November 14, 2022Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted yes on Resolution 2022-0034 putting the City Council behind Ballot Proposition No. 1, the City of Spokane emergency medical services levy.
April 18, 2022Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on Ordinance C36131 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2022.
November 8, 2021Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no as the lone dissenter on Ordinance C35969 updating the City of Spokane's annual property tax levy for 2021, and no on the companion Resolution 2020-0083 declaring a substantial need for the higher levy limit factor.
November 9, 2020Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — Election Integrity
Election Integrity · 2 support
Voted no on Resolution 2024-0114, which asked the Spokane County Auditor to pull the city's park improvement property tax levy measure off the February 11, 2025 special election ballot.
December 2, 2024Supports Election Integrity
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Filed the Washington Public Disclosure Commission complaint that opened case 1461 on 2015-10-28 against Envision Worker's Rights PAC, a committee backing a 2015 Spokane ballot proposition, alleging it failed to report contributions and expenditures on schedule and omitted top-five-contributor disclosure from its political advertising; the PDC closed the case on 2016-02-25 with a written warning to the committee after finding evidence of a minor violation.
October 28, 2015Supports Election Integrity
Source: pdc.wa.gov · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — Corporate Accountability
Corporate Accountability · 1 oppose
Voted no as the lone dissenter on Emergency Ordinance C36887 imposing an immediate one-year citywide moratorium on applications to establish or expand data centers in Spokane.
June 22, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — General
General · 5 records
Chaired the Northeast Public Development Authority and the Growth Management Steering Committee of Elected Officials, and served as vice chair of the Spokane City Council's Public Safety and Community Health Committee. Earlier served as Council President Pro Tem, chaired that same public safety committee and the Finance and Administration Committee, and chaired a neighborhood council.
July 29, 2026
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Carried endorsements from Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, retiring Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton, all three Republican Spokane County commissioners, Congressman Michael Baumgartner, and Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson in the 2026 county auditor race, as reported in the Spokesman-Review's 2026-07-15 survey of the contest.
July 15, 2026
Source: spokesman.com · researched July 30, 2026
Described his six and a half years of Spokane City Council service and his case for running the county auditor's office in a recorded Spokane Public Radio interview published on 2026-07-10.
July 10, 2026
Source: spokanepublicradio.org · researched July 30, 2026
Selected unanimously by the Spokane Regional Health District Board of Health on 2025-12-09 as its incoming Chair for a one-year term beginning 2026-01-01, after serving as the board's Vice Chair and a member since 2024.
December 9, 2025
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Voted no on CPR 2021-0025, the City Council's letter directing the mayor to begin collecting wastewater utility tax owed on Spokane County's operation of a treatment facility.
December 13, 2021
Source: my.spokanecity.org · researched July 30, 2026
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 1 record
The Washington Public Disclosure Commission closed enforcement case 107996 against him on 2022-07-27 with a written warning after staff found evidence of a minor violation, on a complaint alleging he failed to timely and accurately report campaign contributions and expenditures for the 2019 election year. No penalty was assessed.
July 27, 2022
Source: pdc.wa.gov · researched July 30, 2026
Past race Michael Cathcart ran in:
- Auditor · August 4, 2026 · Spokane County, Washington
Profile last researched July 23, 2026.