, ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁Seattle ' s ▁. ▁Most ▁precip itation ▁occurs ▁in ▁December , ▁and ▁summer ▁is ▁the ▁dri est ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁The ▁Rock ies ▁shield ▁Sp ok ane ▁from ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁winter ▁season ' s ▁col dest ▁air ▁masses ▁travel ing ▁south ward ▁across ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Government ▁and ▁politics ▁ ▁The ▁City ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁oper ates ▁under ▁a ▁mayor – c oun cil ▁form ▁of ▁government , ▁with ▁executive ▁and ▁legisl ative ▁branches ▁that ▁are ▁elected ▁in ▁non - part isan ▁elections . ▁David ▁Cond on ▁was ▁elected ▁mayor ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁took ▁office ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁business ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁The ▁previous ▁mayor ▁was ▁Mary ▁V erner , ▁who ▁succeeded ▁Dennis ▁P . ▁H ession ▁who ▁himself ▁succeeded ▁the ▁re called ▁James ▁" J im " ▁West . ▁The ▁city ▁elected ▁James ▁Ever ett ▁Ch ase ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁African - American ▁mayor ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁and ▁after ▁his ▁ret irement , ▁elected ▁the ▁city ' s ▁first ▁woman ▁mayor , ▁V icki ▁Mc Ne il . ▁Sp ok ane ▁is ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁County , ▁a ▁position ▁it ▁wr ested ▁from ▁Chen ey ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁ ▁Feder ally , ▁Sp ok ane ▁is ▁within ▁Washington ' s ▁ 5 th ▁con gression al ▁district , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁by ▁Republican ▁C ath y ▁Mc Mor