Candidate Q&As: Klickitat County Board of Commissioners Districts 1, 3

Klickitat County Commissioner District 1

Amanda Kitchings

Why are you running for this office?

As a fourth-generation White Salmon resident, I’ve felt the changes in our county and witnessed how they affect our community. When I returned to the area with my family nine years ago, I knew that I wanted to be a steward for Klickitat County. I want to protect our landscapes, support our farmers, and bring resources and jobs to all who call this county home. I hope to inspire community engagement and overcome the partisan divide, because I believe we are better equipped to face challenges when we are united.

How does any previous experience help qualify you for this role?

I’ve co-owned a successful art gallery with my husband, served as the director of operations for a large engineering firm, and run my own design business, all while raising two kids and being an active volunteer in our community. All of these ventures have required me to work with teams to address multifaceted challenges, and they’ve taught me that I genuinely enjoy working with others to solve complex problems. I hope anyone who’s worked with me would say I am a natural leader who’s fair, thoughtful, empathetic, and creative.

What do you see as the county’s greatest need/priority going forward?

We are in the midst of a drug epidemic, and we urgently need to expand the range of services available to address addiction and its impacts on families and communities. We need to reduce poverty and homelessness—major contributors to drug abuse—by creating jobs and expanding childcare and housing opportunities.

Big picture, we need to ask ourselves what we want our county to look and feel like in the decades to come. We need to update and expand our comprehensive county plan so that it reflects our shared priorities of economic growth, protection of natural resources, public safety and behavioral health.

What will you do differently than the previous commissioners?

My deep roots in Klickitat County and my professional experiences have taught me how to bring people together despite their differences. As your commissioner, I will be a bridge builder. I will support our county employees so they can do their best work. I will communicate with the public clearly and often, sharing the opportunities and challenges our county faces and listen to the concerns of all residents. Finally, I will work respectfully and professionally with my fellow commissioners to rebuild relationships, forge new alliances, and serve the entire county.

•••

Todd Andrews, also running for District 1, did not respond by press deadline. Any responses received before the Aug. 6 election will be included in upcoming editions of Columbia Gorge News.

Klickitat County Commissioner District 3

Dan Christopher

Why are you running for this office?

Because there is much work to be done in order to get our county government working for “all the people” and to get it fiscally responsible and sound in its use of taxpayer dollars. For too long, our government has taken care of the people with the right last name, and neglected or I would go so far as to say mistreated those without. I have been able to fix some of this, but unfortunately I will need a second vote in the next election to get that good old boy mentality totally behind us.

How does any previous experience help qualify you for this role?

As your commissioner these last four years, every vote I have made has been the vote I believe the people would want me to make. I have been outvoted a hundred times, but I have shown my courageousness in taking on the establishment in my fight for the people. An ex- commissioner once told me that he respected the fact that I always vote for the people. When I asked, “If that’s the case, why didn’t we agree more?” his response was “politics.” See, when you don’t vote for the special people, they bankroll an opponent to get them back their special favors.

What do you see as the county’s greatest need/priority going forward?

Sound decision-making based on true data and facts, and not based on politics or emotion. This county is at a financial knifes edge caused by multiple bad financial decisions based on emotions and or politics. This has cost the county millions of dollars a year. In the end, all of the services the county currently provides, or can grow to offer can’t be funded unless there is a responsibleness with the dollars we currently have. I don’t support raising taxes because of bad management or poor governance and I will continue to vote no on tax increases until that changes.

What are you doing differently than previous commissioners?

 The short answer is everything. I work for the people, not the special interests, corporations, or large campaign donors. I support what the people support and oppose what they oppose. With that, I oppose industrial solar development in the Goldendale Valley. I oppose urban sprawl along the White Salmon River. I oppose turning our farmland or forests into corporate developments, and I oppose using your tax dollars to subsidize rich campaign donor’s projects. I started the building of a county mental health program and I have saved the county millions of dollars a year by being transparent and fiscally responsible.

•••

Ron Ihrig

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for this office to bring back dignity and honesty to the Board of County Commissioners. I have lived in the Goldendale area my entire life and I want to represent all the people of our county in a transparent, truthful and respectful way. I also want to rebuild the relationships within the county staff, elected officials and the public.

How does any previous experience help qualify you for this role?

My experience as well as institutional knowledge has been a diverse combination of elected and public positions that will benefit the county as a whole. I previously served as County Commissioner for District 3, from 1993-1996. I also served as the Mayor of Goldendale from 1900-1992. Most recently I served as a Klickitat Valley Health Commissioner 2005-2011 and 2022 to present.

In the public sector, I worked for the Klickitat Public Utility District, first as a Journeyman Lineman for 20 years. I was then promoted into a supervisor role, working on the operations side, and I finally retired as the Chief Operating Officer with a total 37 years under my belt.

This experience makes me the perfect candidate for County Commissioner for District 3.

What do you see as the county’s greatest need/priority going forward?

First and foremost is the budget. We need a complete reorganization of the money we spend based on the needs of the county. We need to look at the landfill contracts and prioritize the needs of the county moving forward. Really have a good financially responsible plan to make sure monies are going to the right place for our country’s broad needs.

We need to prioritize the adoption of the Critical Areas Ordinances, Master Shoreline Plan and work on the process of the Klickitat Comprehensive Plan adoption.

What will you do differently than the previous commissioners?

Consensus building to agree to disagree and be respectful to the public as well as other teammates, county and state departments and other elected officials. I guess the term, “Building bridges and mending fences” is on the top of the list.