James Liebrecht runs for seat on GC board

MOSES LAKE - Grant County commissioner candidate James Liebrecht said the key to running an effective government is clear and open communication.

"I won't be there to dictate. I'm there to listen," the first-time commissioner candidate said. "I want to bring those concerns back to the county seat. I want to be your lobbyist there. I work for you. I don't work for other politicians or party leadership. I work for the citizens of Grant County."

Liebrecht is running against incumbent Carolann Swartz to represent the second district on the commission.

Along with his wife, Liebrecht has owned Animal Crackers, a grooming and kennel in Moses Lake, for the past 33 years.

He's been on Moses Lake's city council and planning commission, on the Grant County Health Board, as well as a pilot for the county's search and rescue department.

His business and board experience should be an asset to the commissioners if he's elected, he said.

"It shows that I've had to adapt to the economy and peoples' needs," he said. "I believe that government needs to do the same thing: We have to readapt ourselves." A major part of that adaptation, he said, is to open the county's ears to cities and towns.

"We need our commissioners to get with those city governments and ask what they can do together," Liebrecht said. "I believe that these people don't get represented like they should."

He pointed to a case when the county was looking to overhaul the septic systems at the fairgrounds while Liebrecht served on Moses Lake's city council.

Liebrecht said that, ultimately, the county didn't listen to the city's position and, instead of hooking up to the city's sewage line, installed septic tanks instead. "I want the reputation that county and city government work together," he said. "You tell me not what I can do for you. It's what we can do together. I'll take it back to the county seat and express your concerns.

"I'm not intimidated by politicians or political parties: I work for you, and I'll say what needs to be said, because I represent you."

He said the communication flow doesn't end between municipalities and the county: it also includes inter-county communication between departments.

"When asked what's going on, no one says anything. Everybody keeps their mouth shut, and it leads to speculation," he said. "And that bothers me as a person who still holds standards and still believes in the rights of people and the rights of government."

If elected, Liebrecht said, in addition to increased communication, he would like to see the county's budget trimmed.

"We need to trim management," he said. "The people that are out in the field and are non-management don't have much choice or say in the matter. Management is the one that has the budget." One of the first things he would request would be to audit each department from the outside. "I want to know where that spending is at. I want to know where our money is at," he said. "I want to know what is essential and what is not so that I can base our next fiscal quarter on that."

"In these economic times, everybody has to take a haircut. Everybody has to restructure." He would like to see an external audit of each county office to see where taxpayers' monies are going, and look to overhaul a rubber-stamped budget for each department.

Liebrecht said his knowledge of zoning and business, as well as his service on city council, helped prepare him to sit on the board of commissioners.

"I know the concerns, and I know the county's concerns. But, as a commissioner, I'd not only work for the residents or rural community of our county," he said. "I'd work for the cities and towns. Those are voters. Those are people who expect you to be helpful and not a hindrance. Their concerns need to be heard also." In addition to owning Animal Crackers, Liebrecht was a crew chief at the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. His wife, Karen, currently serves on Moses Lake's city council.

The couple have two grown sons and two grandchildren, both cheerleaders in the Moses Lake School District.

In his free time, Liebrecht enjoys piloting airplanes, participating in church activities and spending time outdoors.