Nov. 5 General Election: Klickitat Co. commissioner district 1

I am running for Klickitat County Commissioner of District 1 because I want to be of service to the people and lands that raised me. We need collaborative, creative and communicative leaders to help us prepare for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I want to inspire us all to come together as a community, to honor our past while planning for the future.

What are your qualifications for this position?

I have occupied dynamic leadership positions at multiple businesses. As co-owner of an art gallery, I helped to manage artists in addition to overseeing staff and logistical operations. As director of operations at an engineering firm I helped to craft a succession plan while expanding the business. I have brought this same spirit of collaboration and problem solving to local nonprofits, including our local grange hall where I have been a board member for 9 years. As a fourth generation White Salmon resident, I’m in a unique position to be a bridge builder in our rapidly growing community.

What are the top three issues facing Klickitat County?

I believe the county needs to focus on completing a thorough update of our comprehensive plan, finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis, and working on an economic development strategy that creates jobs in manufacturing and skilled trades. We have an opportunity to work collaboratively to ensure a sustainable and vibrant future for all residents of Klickitat County.

What is an innovation you would recommend the county try?

I would like the county to establish a grant writing department and hire a full time grant writer. This would enable us to more aggressively go after available resources to better serve our citizens.

Finish this statement: In five years, my vision for Klickitat County is …

A more united county. I envision a county where families can afford to live and work and have access to childcare, a county that has planned for growth while protecting our resources and rural landscapes, and a county that values and supports civic engagement and community building.

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Prior to the Aug. 6 Washington Primary, Kitchings answered another set of questions from Columbia Gorge News, which can be found at columbiagorgenews.com.

Todd Andrews

Why are you running?

The thought of entering government was never in the picture. My love and passion has always been providing for my family and serving my community by donating resources, but mostly time in building homes for those that could not and being the “village baker” (Loafers/Creamery) that provided wholesome food for the Gorge. The decision to serve here and now I saw as a necessity for the future health of our county and I will proudly do so.

What are your qualifications for this position?

I’ll answer this by stating what is listed on my pamphlet and website because it is both consistent and truthful.

Proven consulting, business development and experience managing multi-million dollar budgets

Decades of experience building homes, building businesses and volunteering

Live my life respecting and protecting the rights of all beliefs

30 year Gorge native married 27 years to third generation Gorge family

Father of three boys that attended school in White Salmon

What are the top three issues facing Klickitat County?

1. Fighting outside interest in our county's amazing resources, and the top three of those right now are land, water and solar. The first step in doing that is to not elect outside corporate interests to the very board that is assigned to serve the interests of our county.

2. Affordability. I can’t do anything to stop the rising inflation, but I can help with county regulations and taxation that add so much to our financial burdens. I will also push to open land for building like Dallesport and others that could have greatly assisted with affordable housing for the last decade.

3. Transparency. Having a county government that is of the people, by the people and for the people. This first and foremost means not changing zoning against the will and/or benefit of every citizen. An open process in these matters allows for thoughtful and fiscally wise growth.

What is an innovation you would recommend the county try? 

Multi-county collaboration to institute the best practices while drastically reducing costs. But, this is only one of many things I plan to help bring transparency and citizen first fiscal responsibility.

Finish this statement: In five years, my vision for Klickitat County is …

A Klickitat County that is run and controlled by its citizens. That every decision is known in advance because of transparency through outreach and town hall meetings. That every decision is reached by what best meets the needs of the citizens and is the most fiscally reasonable. The days of multi million dollar decisions/mistakes that only meet the needs of a few and benefit outside corporate interests will end. Hopefully, this can be done quickly. Then the exciting work of improving and building new infrastructure begins. When, where and what exciting projects will decided by each local community.