Spokane Valley councilmember Al Merkel censured after violating Social Media Policy and Public Records Act [Video]

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Spokane Valley Councilmember Al Merkel requested a public hearing to challenge findings from an independent investigation that concluded he violated the City Council’s Social Media Policy and the Washington State Public Records Act.

The investigation determined that several of Merkel’s posts on the Nextdoor platform were related to city business. It found that some posts and responses to them were edited and that Merkel altered declarations regarding his search for public records, which violated the city’s legal obligations under the Public Records Act.

In an email to NonStop Local, Merkel criticized the findings, calling them “flawed” and “biased.” He stated, “It’s a classic story—when someone makes valid criticisms of your policy that you can’t defend, attack them personally.”

At a special meeting on Dec. 19, the City Council voted unanimously (6-0) to censure Merkel. The council cited repeated violations of the Council’s Conduct Standards, failure to …