Re-Elect

Cris Kaminskas

for Liberty Lake Mayor 2023

Integrity - Leadership - Experience

Build a better city for a better tomorrow

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MAYOR CRIS' CAMPAIGN BUZZ

October 13, 2022

Mayor Kaminskas files with the Public Disclosure Commission for Re-election in 2023!

In October 2022, I filed with the Public Disclosure Commission to run for re-election as Mayor of Liberty Lake in 2023.

The next step is to file with Spokane County during the week of May 15, 2023 to be included in the 2023 ballots.

People have asked me how I like being Mayor. I can honestly say that 95% of the time it is great. The other times are challenging, but no topic is insurmountable.

I highly encourage all of you to become familiar with the structure of Liberty Lake's form of government. We are a code city with a Mayor/Council plan of government.

Here are links to some fabulous publications put out by the Municipal Research Service Center:

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August 25, 2021

Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrates their 100th anniversary!

The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce organized in May 1921 in Greenacres by a group of business leaders who saw the need for an organization to represent business interests and to coordinate community events in the Spokane Valley

Now over 600 members strong, the GSVCC represents businesses large and small in Spokane Valley, Millwood, unincorporated Spokane County, and Liberty Lake.

I have the honor of serving as an ex-officio member of the board and had a chance to attend the 100th year celebration and ribbon cutting of their new offices.

If your business or non-profit is interested in joining the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber, please contact them through the hotlink here.

2021...WE DID IT!!! THANK YOU!!

January 9, 2021

New Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas hopes to focus on collaboration, community engagement

By Rebecca White

rebeccawh@spokesman.com

If just a year ago Cris Kaminskas had been asked to become Liberty Lake’s mayor, she may not have said yes.

Kaminskas, 50, said the past year has thrown her several challenges: she has had to find a senior living facility for her parents and send her 18-year-old son off to college, all while dealing with the pandemic. She said when she found out former mayor Shane Brickner was going to resign, she realized that now was likely the right time for her to step up, and she was the right person for the job.

“I know the players, I knew who does what,” she said. “My goal is to build on those relationships, continue to support the staff and continue to inform the community what is going on and respond to their concerns.”

Kaminskas was sworn in as Liberty Lake’s fourth mayor on Tuesday and was chosen by her fellow council members. Her term will last about 10 months, ending once the results of the 2021 November election are certified. Kaminskas, who has been a city councilwoman for almost 11 years, said she plans to run for mayor in November and hopes to serve the rest of Brickner’s term.

City council members chose between her and fellow council member Mike Kennedy, who is mostly retired and has owned several local businesses, including an RV dealership. Kaminskas won the vote after she was nominated by council member Hugh Severs and received four of seven votes.

In the meeting, Severs said most of the staff already respect and have relationships with Kaminskas, and she was the best person for the job. He also noted her regular community engagement through Facebook and availability to answer constituents questions, such as by going to the farmers market regularly.

“I strongly support Cris and I think she would do a wonderful job in the interim,” Severs said.

During the city council meeting where Kaminskas was chosen for mayor, a swell of community members called in to voice their support for her, including many who said they met her at the farmers market, several of her current coworkers and former mayor Brickner.

“I think Cris is very well-balanced and I think she would do a phenomenal job, and I support her greatly in her efforts to sit in on this role,” Brickner said.

Brickner announced he was resigning on Dec. 30 for health reasons. He was the mayor for one year after beating a near-15-year incumbent.

Kaminskas is a team lead for western sales operations at TierPoint, a data security company in Liberty Lake. She is married to Scott Kaminskas and has one son. Her father, Bob Moore, has also served on Liberty Lake City Council.

She said she’s been interested in government since she was a child, after watching her father, then a city council member in the Cincinnati area, serve. Kaminskas moved to Liberty Lake from the Cincinnati area in 2006 to take a job at Keytronic, a telecommunications company in Spokane Valley.

She tried twice for a seat on Liberty Lake City Council before she succeeded, unsuccessfully seeking an appointment to a vacant seat and later losing an election by 100 votes. She was appointed to a seat on Liberty Lake City Council in 2010 and won an election to continue serving in 2011.

“It took a little bit,” she said. “But I’m persistent.”

Kaminskas said she already knows the city staff after more than a decade on the city council and almost 15 years of living in Liberty Lake, but she also is a similar leader to Brickner and hopes those factors will create a smooth, seamless transition.

“We have very similar management style in supporting the staff and giving them the tools to do their job and giving them the support,” she said. “If the mayor or any supervisor is not giving the tools to grow, they’re not doing their job.”

Kaminskas said as mayor of Liberty Lake for the next 10 months, she plans to oversee progress on many of the city’s biggest upcoming projects, including changes at the Liberty Lake Library and a new building at Trailhead Golf Course.

When Kaminskas was sworn in as mayor, her city council seat was vacated. The city council has 90 days to fill that vacancy and will discuss it at its next meeting.

March 12, 2021

Opposition to Spokane City Council's Imposition of Utility Tax on Spokane County's Regional Water Reclamation Facility

City of Liberty Lake, WA March 12, 2021 - The City of Liberty Lake has partnered with Spokane County, the City of Spokane Valley, and the City of Millwood to challenge the City of Spokane's proposed 20% sewer utility tax on gross revenues for residents who receive sewer service from Spokane County Regional Water Reclamation Facility, located in the City of Spokane.

The City of Liberty Lake's Mayor and City Councilmembers sent a signed letter to the City of Spokane Mayor expressing deep concern and strong opposition regarding the increase that does not bring any benefit or improved service to approximately 1,130 Liberty Lake residents who will be affected.

The City has entered into a Common Interest Agreement with Spokane Couty, the City of Spokane Valley, and City of Millwood formally opposing the Spokane City Council's Utility Tax Proposal

Amazing Meet & Greet Event - Thank you to Liberty Lake Wine Cellars & David's Pizza for sponsoring!

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August 31, 2021

Dedication of Ridgeline High School - Copy of Mayor Cris' Speech

I am honored to be here today to join you as we dedicate Ridgeline High School.

It takes dedication to open a new school. This is an important part of our community. Thanks to the district’s thorough planning & ability to make the most out of state resources, saving our local taxpayers’ dollars.

This is a place that will mean so much in shaping the minds and careers of our young men and women.

I hope that as you experience this amazing campus tonight, you will do so with pride and satisfaction that follows a job well done.

Just 20 years ago today, on August 31, 2001, the area to the east of us became the City of Liberty Lake. In the last few years, we have seen exponential growth of our schools – adding a second elementary school, a middle school, and now the first new high school in Spokane County since 1997!

We are honored that the Central Valley School District asked for their property to be annexed into the City so as to leverage the mutually beneficial relationship that we have forged over the years.

Tonight is a celebration.

It’s a celebration of our voters who supported bond measures in 2015 & 2018 to build and significantly remodel several schools across the district.
It’s a celebration of the engineers, architects, and crews who spent two years of their lives to deliver this project
It’s a celebration of the School Board, the staff, teachers, paraeducators, aides, bus drivers, parents, and countless others who were part of this vision and who will be driving the mission of Ridgeline forward.

Most of all, though, this is a celebration of the first and future classes of students who will call themselves Ridgeline Falcons!

To the future Falcons - There is much to learn here. It’s what you can DO with that knowledge, how you apply it to new situations, how you use it to create, innovate, and collaborate that really matters.

I leave you with the following advice:

Persist
- stick to it
Manage impulsivity
- Think before you act.
- Remain calm, thoughtful, and deliberate
Listen and think with understanding and empathy
- seek to understand others & devote mental energy to another person’s thoughts and ideas
Develop a questioning attitude
- How do you know?
Find humor
- Laugh a little.
- And laugh at yourself when you can
And Finally….
- Be proud, and humble enough, to admit you don’t know

August 6, 2021

Liberty RV Center ribbon cutting

Just before COVID shut things down in early 2020, Bruno and Merilyn Peneluppi opened Liberty RV Center on Appleway, east of Mission. While operating a new business during COVID was no easy task, they have built a great company that provides AMAZING customer service.

Their ribbon cutting finally happened almost 18 months after opening, and the celebration was well deserved.

The Peneluppi's have called Liberty Lake home since 2015 and are very active volunteering at their kids' schools in Liberty Lake.

Congratuations!

August 4, 2021

Touring The Podium

As part of the 2 day Washington Economic Development Association conference, I was able to tour the not-quite-complete Podium center in Spokane. This $56M project is an amazing example of what partnering with other agencies can do. This is expected to be a world class indoor track and field facility and is on target to bring over $33M in annual economic impact to our region

The Podium has been selected as the site for the 2022 USATF Indoor Championships. The Championships will be held February 25–26, 2022, and will serve as Team USATF’s qualifying meet for the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be contested March 11-13, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.

January 8, 2021

Meet Cris Kaminskas, the new Mayor of Liberty Lake

By Emily Oliver

KXLY

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — The City of Liberty Lake has a new mayor.

City Council members appointed Cristella ‘Cris’ Kaminskas during the first meeting of the new year. Kaminskas moved to Liberty Lake from Cincinnati, Ohio in 2006 and was appointed to the City Council just four years later, where she retained her seat for three elections. She also served as pro tem mayor from 2014-2016.

According to the City of Liberty Lake, Kaminskas has a BA in psychology from Miami University and has received multiple awards, including an Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities.

According to a release, promoting business and residential growth, as well as public safety, are just some areas Kaminskas hopes to focus on during her time as mayor.

Her and her husband, Scott, have an 18-year-old son who is currently attending Eastern Washington University.

July 24, 2021

Mayor Kaminskas testifies at the Washington State Redistricting Commission on behalf of Congressional District 5

Mayor Cris testified today in front of the redistricting commission regarding upcoming redrawing of the congressional district borders.

Communities and populations in Washington change over time. Every 10 years, after updated census information is published, Washington redraws the boundaries of its congressional and state legislative electoral districts to ensure that each district represents an equal number of residents.

https://youtu.be/AnW9BFH_e4A

The Commission must draw the district lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Washingtonians.