A time for healing for Soap Lake

Soap Lake has gone through much turmoil this year.

Proposition 1 that went before voters in November to enact a council-manager form of government failed by a small margin. A total of 276 people, or 48 percent, voted yes, and 295 people, or nearly 52 percent, voted no. Councilmember Robert Brown and former Councilmember Maynard Hagan had supported the proposal and publicly rallied for the change in how Soap Lake city government is run. As a majority, though, the Soap Lake City Council was not in favor and held a press conference in October to speak out against the proposal. Soap Lake currently runs under a mayor-council system and will stay that way.

The push to pass Proposal 1 comes after at least a year (if not more) of discontent between Brown and the council and issues aired publicly by Brown and Hagan. In October 2015, Hagan and Brown sent a letter to Soap Lake residents urging them to vote Gravelle out of office in the November 2015 general election. Brown has said in a past Herald interview that Gravelle is not qualified to run the city and touched upon the differences between a city manager and the political position of a mayor. There are no qualifications to be mayor but a city manager must have certain skills, professional background and education to be effective.

They claimed the city had more than $140,000 in revenue that wasn’t being used, so Soap Lake could afford to pay a city manager between $60,000 and $65,000 annually.

Brown and Hagan cited communication issues between the mayor and council, the lack of communication between the mayor and council, communication issues between the mayor and city departments, and residents’ problems not being dealt with, according to a Aug. 17 Columbia Basin Herald article.

We hope the communication issues have been resolved between all parties and they can move forward in the best interests of the residents. The voters have spoken and it’s time for residents to follow the direction of the current council and mayor.

Soap Lake is known for its mineral rich “healing waters” that have attracted many to the small community to improve health and enjoy the area for fun and recreation. Soap Lake has so much potential and can achieve it if leaders are able to work together. Doing so might take going outside their comfort zone. We urge city leaders to move beyond personality differences because the benefits to Soap Lake citizens would be well worth the effort.

— Editorial Board