Change, holding the line two choices for commissioners' race

Baker challenges Allison in Republican primary

Ron Baker believes it's time for a change in Grant County.

Leroy Allison is telling voters he wants to hold the line, especially on budget decisions.

And on Sept. 14, Republican voters in district two, which covers Moses Lake, Warden, Royal City, Smyrna and the rural areas between, will decide which candidate they feel has the best vision for Grant County.

Baker, who is from Moses Lake, is challenging Warden native Allison, who is seeking to win his fourth election as Grant County commissioner.

The winner of this race will face Moses Lake businessman Ritchie Norman, who is the lone Democrat to file for the seat.

Both Allison and Baker recognize the county's bleak financial picture as one of the top issues of the election. And both have a similar theory on how to turn things around.

Allison said he will not support any tax increases, and he will support balancing the budget by reducing costs. Through initiatives, the public has demanded lower taxes, and Allison said he believes the commission has done a good job of remaining below the one-percent growth mandated by I-747.

To make up for revenue shortfalls expected to reach $2 million by 2007, Allison said that if elected, he will continue to look to departments for efficiencies, such as equipment that requires less labor.

"The solution is going to be a number of small steps in a number of areas in the county," he said.

However, Allison added that staff positions will most likely be cut to match the shortfall.

Baker also sees little possibility for raising taxes because the county is near its maximum authority. Some departments throughout the county have been keeping their costs down over the last three years, and Baker said he worries that the cuts in the budget will mean less services offered.

"We're coming to a financial (situation) where we cannot reduce the operations without cutting services," he said.

Baker said he will work to improve communication with other county elected officials and city officials, if elected. He pointed to a recent vote of no confidence from county elected officials, who complained of a lack of communication with the board of commissioners, and said he could help solve that problem.

"I consider my team-building skills to fit perfectly with what the board of commissioners should be doing with the county," Baker, who spent 30 years as a municipal consultant, said.

The county has an excellent road structure, Baker said, and it must be further utilized to improve economic development. He added that he wants to make county land-use regulations less restrictive to growth.

"We simply have too many businesses in Grant County that are dependent on growth," he said.

Baker said the county needs state assistance to address its problems funding indigent defense. He added that indications of problems within the indigent-defense system, which eventually led to the disbarment of public defender Tom Earl, were made known to commissioners as early as 1996.

"When a problem arises, you have to address the problem in a timely manner if you want to contain the problem," he said.

Allison said concerns about indigent-defense contracts were raised three separate times — in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Each time, Allison said, adjustments were made to the contract to improve it.

Then, as soon as the state Supreme Court voted to disbar Earl, Allison said commissioners moved to secure verbal contracts with other indigent-defense attorneys to cover the gap.

Allison said he is most proud of his work to establish an insurance pool for the county, which provided "super savings" for taxpayers and was a "major improvement for liability coverage." He also touted his worked with the Groundwater Management Association.

Allison said he has always tried to reach out to the people of Grant County.

"The toughest part (of being a commissioner) is juggling schedules to make as many commitments as possible," he said.