BEST PUBLIC OFFICIAL - John Powers - Dozens of public officials, from state representatives to "Pete the Postman," as one voter wrote, received votes in this category.

But the best, Inlander voters say, is John Powers. Did he win because he's mayor of Spokane? Because of name recognition? Probably. It's hard to beat someone whose name is mentioned daily on the air and in print, for everything from roads to his staffing hires. Hmmmm... or maybe, just maybe, people think there's more to Powers than just another lawyer-lawmaker. Maybe they're won over by his smile, the articulate and buttery modulation of his voice, his unquenchable optimism. Powers, the city's first strong mayor, still has much work to do to define the expanded mayoral responsibilities, not to mention overcoming intractable issues like poverty and River Park Square. Maybe voters like that Powers, an old football coach, keeps cheering the city on, saying there's "win-win" solutions if the community wants them bad enough.

2nd: (Tie) Roberta Greene, Steve Eugster