Tri-Cities Vote 2023 Kennewick Election Guide

https://tricitiesvote.com/jim-millbauer

In your own words, what are the responsibilities of members of the City Council?

Council sets policy in the city. Developing long-term plans, goals, infrastructure, and public services, approving the city’s budget. We represent the interests and concerns of the constituents. We listen to their needs, address concerns, and advocate for policies that benefit the city and residents. We hold public meetings to gather input from residents on various issues. We engage with the public, respond to inquiries, and consider public feedback in their decision-
making process. We collaborate with other governmental agencies, such as county governments, state agencies, and
regional organizations.

What do you believe are the three most important opportunities your position can champion during your term, and how do you intend to earn community support?

• Economic development and job creation.

• Supporting affordable housing initiatives, advocating and support of programs that address homelessness.

• Public Safety needs to continue to be championed within our community.

Be responsive to community concerns, inquiries, and feedback. Address constituent issues and take their input seriously, collaborate with local organizations, and stakeholders demonstrates a commitment to the community’s best interests and helps build support and trust.

How will you handle conflicts of interest and ethical challenges that may arise while serving as an elected official?

It is crucial to disclose any potential conflicts of interest promptly. This includes financial interests, personal relationships, or other factors that may influence your decision-making. If a conflict of interest arises in a matter being discussed, it is important to recuse yourself from participating or voting on that particular issue. 

Follow the city council’s code of conduct or ethics policy. This policy will outline expected standards of behavior and provide a framework for addressing ethical challenges. Adhering to these codes can help maintain ethical conduct and prevent conflicts of interest.

A: Citizens should elect me because I will make the best decision I can based on my experience, judgment, and beliefs.

B: Citizens should elect me because I will seek out opinions and perspectives different from my own when formulating a decision.

A: The city has a role to play in cost of living and affordable housing.

B Cost of living and housing affordability should be left solely to the market.

A The City Council should rely on the private sector to create projects that enhance culture.

B The City Council should help fund major capital projects that enhance the vibrancy of local culture.

A: We should control and guide suburban sprawl even if doing so affects short-term economic growth.

B: We shouldn’t restrain free market development; it’s critical to our local economy.

A: The City Council is doing a good job of being transparent.

B: The City Council should do a much better job of being transparent.

The City Council has a role to play in leading our region to be more welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

https://tricitiesvote.com/ted-owens

In your own words, what are the responsibilities of members of the City Council?

The first responsibility for a Councilman is to the citizens of Kennewick, to engage and listen to the communities’ concerns, ideas, and recommendations. The Council’s responsibility collectively: appointing a city manager, making legislative decisions, establishing policies, approving budgets, reviewing and approving comprehensive plans, setting tax rates, developing vision and setting goals and deliverables, interviewing and appointing the public to boards and commissions.

What do you believe are the three most important opportunities your position can champion during your term, and how do you intend to earn community support?

• Leadership in infrastructure for today and projecting future growth.
• Securing reliable base load energy.
• Improving law enforcement and community involvment by engaging our diverse community, encouraging citizen input in safety.

In the private sector I was a leader in a multi-cultural workforce, serving a diverse community. The best way to earn community support is to respect our cultural differences and be part of celebrating cultural festivals and holidays.

How will you handle conflicts of interest and ethical challenges that may arise while serving as an elected official?

I will recuse myself from any conflicts of interest or any potential ethical challenges. If it is another councilman I will first address it privately. If that does not resolve the issue then I will bring it to the full council in closed session. If majority agrees with the need for recusal it can be resolved by majority council. If the council majority does not agree and my position has not changed, I will bring it to the community in a public meeting. The citizens are our superiors and should be made aware of potential or current conflicts.

A: Citizens should elect me because I will make the best decision I can based on my experience, judgment, and beliefs.

B: Citizens should elect me because I will seek out opinions and perspectives different from my own when formulating a decision.

I think people vote for A however I appreciate and will use B to be a check on my position.

A: The city has a role to play in cost of living and affordable housing.

B: Cost of living and housing affordability should be left solely to the market.

A: The City Council should rely on the private sector to create projects that enhance culture.

B: The City Council should help fund major capital projects that enhance the vibrancy of local culture.

I think the City Council should provide leadership and work with private sector.

A: We should control and guide suburban sprawl even if doing so affects short-term economic growth.

B: We shouldn’t restrain free market development; it’s critical to our local economy.

It is a city responsibility to have a general plan that does not conflict with state growth management act. 

A: The City Council is doing a good job of being transparent.

B: The City Council should do a much better job of being transparent.

The City Council has a role to play in leading our region to be more welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

https://tricitiesvote.com/brittany-gledhill

In your own words, what are the responsibilities of members of the school board?

The school board serves as community representatives to the district. Its primary role is to set strategic goals and priorities for the district as well as hold the district accountable in achieving these objectives. The board is responsible for the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of the superintendent and reviews, revises, and introduces policy. It is the board that oversees spending and that approves the annual budget. Additionally, members of the school board serve as community liaisons, ensuring that the school district has strong relationships, and is in good standing, with the community it serves.

What do you believe are the three most important opportunities your position can champion during your term, and how do you intend to earn community support?

At this time, closing the achievement gap, ensuring transparency with parents, and creating a balanced budget is most important. Earning community support is achieved through transparency. The more the community is informed of the board’s priorities the more the community will support the district’s efforts. Community support is gained through connection. As the community sees board members reaching out to stakeholders asking for input and engagement, the more the community will trust the decisions the board makes in overseeing district operations.

How will you handle conflicts of interest and ethical challenges that may arise while serving as an elected official?

I will default to established policy and protocol when it comes to conflicts of interest and questions of ethics.

A: Our district is underfunded for the needs of our operations, maintenance, and/or capital improvements. 

B: Funding in our school district is adequate for operations, maintenance, and/or
capital improvements.

A: Raises for teachers should be through cost of living adjustments or the annual step increases built into the salary schedules. 

B: Teachers in our district are under-compensated and should be a higher budget priority than they are currently.

A: We should prioritize protecting students from encountering perspectives that may be harmful to them.

B: We should prioritize making all educational materials available to students.

This question is difficult to answer because the choices are between perspectives on one side and educational materials on the other. Had the wording on each side of the dichotomy been consistent I could answer without explanation. Students should be introduced to perspectives that enlarge their world view. Logistically, we cannot make all educational materials available to students, but we should be sure that all the material we offer to students is educational.

A: The school board is doing a good job of seeking input from parents and involving them in in decision-making.

B: The school board should do a much better job of seeking input from parents and involving them in in decision-making.

A: The school board is doing a good job of seeking input from educators and involving them in in decision-making.

B: The school board should do a much better job of seeking input from educators and involving them in in decision-making.

I have no real way of knowing whether or not this is the case. I’m not yet a board member, nor am I an educator, nor have I been able to poll teachers extensively enough to answer the question confidently, but, I believe the board should always be trying to improve, so I chose lean slightly toward improving.

The school board has a role to play in leading our region to be more welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

All members of the KSD community have a role to play in ensuring schools are more welcoming, etc., but the biggest contributors to inclusion are at the individual school level.

My decision making will be based on what is best for all students in the district.

https://tricitiesvote.com/scott-keller

In your own words, what are the responsibilities of members of the Port Commissioners?

Port Commissioners help set policy by reviewing budgets and helping to ensure the Port is a good fiscal steward of the taxpayers’ dollars. They also partner with the executive director to set goals to support economic development especially for small businesses and provide
transparency to the public.

What do you believe are the three most important opportunities your position can champion during your term, and how do you intend to earn community support?

First, we need to support small businesses again. From Prossers’ Vintners Village to downtown Benton city to providing the Richland community businesses a chance to thrive, these companies are integral to providing high quality jobs outside of Hanford. Second, railroad investments are instrumental to providing our port district high speed and safer transportation. We need to continue this investment. Finally, we’ll utilize Port assets to their full capabilities, putting underutilized buildings to work. We need to get back to the standards when we won Port of the Year by engaging and serving the port district.

How will you handle conflicts of interest and ethical challenges that may arise while serving as an elected official?

I am running for this position because I care deeply for the port and the people it represents. The betterment of the port’s constituents and the port is always the most important and will be at the forefront of any decisions I make. I have decades of experience in port leadership demonstrating my high level of ethics and how I’ve put the community and port first before any personal interest.  I am excited to bring this level of integrity and service to the port again.

A: Citizens should elect me because I will make the best decision I can based on my experience, judgment, and beliefs.

B: Citizens should elect me because I will seek out opinions and perspectives different from my own when formulating a decision.

While I will always seek out and listen to others’ opinion and learn from those different perspectives, my experience and knowledge of the Port is what makes me qualified for this position

A: Ports have a duty to work with other local governments and communities to balance transportation logistics for commerce.

B: Ports have a duty to prioritize transportation logistics for commerce even where it may negatively impact other local governments and communities.

A: Ports should rely on the private sector to create projects that enhance culture.

B: Ports should help fund major capital projects that enhance the vibrancy of local culture.

A: We should control and guide suburban sprawl even if doing so affects short-term economic growth.

B: We shouldn’t restrain free market development; it’s critical to our local economy.

A: The port is doing a good job of being transparent.

B: The port should do a much better job of being transparent.

The Port Commission has a role to play in leading our region to be more welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

https://tricitiesvote.com/christy-rasmussen

In your own words, what are the responsibilities of members of the Port Commissioners?

Port Commissioners directly responsible for Port policy, budget, strategy and supervision of the Executive Director. As the incumbent who has served as President the last two years, I am uniquely positioned to champion provide informed and connected leadership. For me, it is vital that I listen to our community and lead with conviction to ensure decisions and actions reflect its collective values. I have volunteered in our community for over 40 years, as a Rotarian I truly believe in service above self; and leading by example is my legacy for family and community.

What do you believe are the three most important opportunities your position can champion during your term, and how do you intend to earn community support?

The improvement of our rail, establish an Inland Port to ensure our ag partners’ products competitively get to domestic and global markets. Advocate to establish our region as the supply chain for advanced manufacturing and new nuclear. These efforts will grow small business and industry to supply family wage jobs to our region. Providing fiscally conservative leadership will ensure fairness for all Port assets longevity and future growth. I intend to build community support by being a transparent, transformational and leader for all of our community.

How will you handle conflicts of interest and ethical challenges that may arise while serving as an elected official?

First and foremost to any conflict I bring active listening, an open mind, a willingness to learn and understand. It’s been my experience that when you listen and learn you can overcome any conflict of interest or ethical challenge by finding the right path forward. It may not be the path more traveled, but you can find a way forward. It may require inviting more minds to help solve the issue. More minds better solve problems. 

A: Citizens should elect me because I will make the best decision I can based on my experience, judgment, and beliefs.

B: Citizens should elect me because I will seek out opinions and perspectives different from my own when formulating a decision.

I am inherently a learner who embraces different perspectives. I can always grow and learn.

A: Ports have a duty to work with other local governments and communities to balance transportation logistics for commerce.

B: Ports have a duty to prioritize transportation logistics for commerce even where it may negatively impact other local governments and communities.

Ports are collaborators in our community. We work to be a part of a greater plan in our region planned and agreed upon by all entities. WE are BETTER together!

A: Ports should rely on the private sector to create projects that enhance culture.

B: Ports should help fund major capital projects that enhance the vibrancy of local culture.

The assets of the Port are the taxpayers. The Port uses the tax money collected on capital Port projects to maintain and improve the taxpayers assets. We support the vibrancy of our local culture by being fiscally responsible which has set us up to lower tax payer rates while addressing our rail, airports and facilities to create enduring investments not just for a few special interests but for our entire community.

A: We should control and guide suburban sprawl even if doing so affects short-term economic growth.

B: We shouldn’t restrain free market development; it’s critical to our local economy.

Collaborative planning is imperative to the success of any community in development of economic diversity, culture and climate and it’s future. 

A: The port is doing a good job of being transparent.

B: The port should do a much better job of being transparent.

The Port Commission has a role to play in leading our region to be more welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable.

Absolutely.