For the 2019 Voters Guide, we emailed town and city candidates a set of 14 questions on professional experience, local priorities and general issues. We have included those questions and the unedited responses. We have noted when candidates left questions unanswered. We have also provided links to candidate websites, campaign funding reports and other local media coverage when available.
Any questions or suggestions should be sent to: whitmancowatch@gmail.com
CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
Running against: Jim Kackman
Website: None
Social media: None
Other recent coverage:
Whitman County Gazette: City hall candidates slated for forum
Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Plant shop puts down roots in Colfax
QUESTIONNAIRE
What is your current occupation or job title?
Founder/Owner A Modern Plantsman
What other memberships or affiliations would you like to list for voters?
Chamber of Commerce, Colfax Downtown Association
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Starting a small business, because of how much hard work it took, and the positive impact it has had on the community I live in.
What is your vision for your community and are there any other cities that you see doing things right or would like to emulate?
I imagine thriving local businesses, and community involvement that doesn’t feel like a chore but rather an exciting opportunity. I imagine a community with a pride of ownership in their homes and neighborhoods, their schools and youth, and in their social and cultural impact within the region. A place that other people will go out of their way to visit and be a part of.
What is your philosophy for guiding new business and housing development? What, if any, role should the council play in recruitment or restriction?
For new business, I want to gather and share as much helpful information as possible, to ensure there are multiple paths to success. I think mentorship can also be invaluable, because there is so much to learn, that guidance from another person who has lived that experience could be key.
For housing development, I just think it’s important to make sure we do things without cutting corners, and by considering how it will affect others now and in the future. It’s good to find balance between the past present and future, and always be looking ahead when making decisions in the now.
I do think that the council plays an important role of being encouraging to their community’s budding entrepreneurs, while also having the forethought to consider what’s ahead and how that could affect a new business. They should be aware of what is happening in their community, and be a part of building it. Lastly, I think they should act as a liaison in connecting people to each other within the community, as they may have a much wider reach of people within their social web.
What would you list as your highest priorities for local infrastructure repairs, expansions or new projects?
Making our downtown corridor a more pleasant place to walk around in.
What do you consider your community’s greatest housing challenge and what steps would you take to address it?
It doesn’t feel like some of our neighborhoods have much pride of ownership in keeping their yards clean and free of debris. I myself am guilty of this with my own house. It’s not that I don’t want to have a nice yard, it’s that I don’t have enough time in my week, or enough man-power to accomplish it alone. Perhaps we could establish a volunteer group/org that can help people who need that help with general upkeep here and there.
Do you think your community provides adequate resources for public safety services (police and fire) and what, if anything, would you change?
I think so, though I’ve never had to make use of them personally.
How would your rank your expectations for council/city government transparency on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating a discrete approach to governing and 5 indicating a proactively open approach?
Five
Do you consider your community’s tax rates high or low? As a steward of taxpayer dollars, how do you approach balancing demands for city service against the citizen tax burden?
I consider our tax rate lower in comparison to other larger Washington cities and counties. My approach on this would be to weigh the pros and cons against the good of the community as a whole, vs the individual burden each of us has to take-on to promote a better community.
Do you support the council enacting policies to address climate change or promote environmental sustainability? If so, what steps would you take?
Yes, of course. Ultimately if we can create a cleaner, more sustainable home for ourselves and future generations, why not do that for ourselves?
We deserve that, and so do our kids, and their kids, and so on. I would actively seek out better options for our community that would involve core-sustainability practices that don’t hurt us, or make it harder for anyone to live. Ideally, i’d push to enact small changes that we’ll immediately be able to see a difference in our day-to-day quality of life versus years down the line.
What do you think of existing local regulations on cannabis businesses and production operations?
Generally appropriate
What, if any, role do you think the council should play in promoting local arts, cultural events or tourism?
Council should do its best to promote and encourage these types of activities through whatever means they have access to. It is for the good of the town and everyone in it that local arts, cultural events, and tourism are a successful and prominent place in our society, so that we can attract and retain the youthful glow of a bustling city and not an old run down ghost town.
If you could wave a magic wand and instantly change one thing about your community, what would it be and why?
I’d add more thriving businesses to town, so that we didn’t have to go to Moscow or Pullman for options we should be able to find here. That, and I would make our Main Street parking diagonal, and add more greenery to the area. I want to be able to walk around in a cute small-town downtown, instead of like I’m walking around on an interstate with exhaust and loud semi trucks speeding within feet of me.