Swartz set to retire as commissioner

EPHRATA — The day of outgoing County Commissioner Carolann Swartz’s retirement celebration found her speculating with the Ephrata city manager on the University’s of Washington’s prospects in the upcoming Peace Bowl against the University of Alabama.

“We want to go all the way,” she said, though Swartz said she and her husband Don were not sure whether “all the way” meant simply to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta or to the national championship in Tampa two weeks later to face the winner of Ohio State-Clemson match up in the Fiesta Bowl.

“We’ve been Husky football season ticket holders for ages,” she added.

She then looked at Wes Crago, the Ephrata city manager.

“So are you going to hire a WSU grad?” she asked him about the city’s search for a director of community services.

He smiled.

“We’ve not looked at the college part of the applications,” he said.

It was an upbeat way to end an eight-year career representing Grant County’s second district, which comprises the south-east corner of Grant County, including most of Moses Lake.

“We’ve done some remarkable things,” Swartz said. “We’re fiscally very conservative, and we watch every penny we spend, but we built a new MACC, remodeled the courthouse, and we did it all without raising any taxes.”

“We cashed in on some reason funding opportunities, our credit rating is good, and our bonds rates are low,” she added.

Swartz, who will turn 70 in March, said some of the highlights of her time as a county commissioner involve improving the county’s working relationship with its cities, doing some significant work on the county fairgrounds, and dealing with the problems the Quincy Valley Hospital has had with young people unable to pay for treatment after overdosing during concerts at The Gorge.

“We improved traffic at The Gorge and made sure medical personnel were on staff for events,” she said.

But she has seen some difficult times as well.

“We have 700 employees, and laying off employees is never easy. I’m always very in tune with them,” she said.

And she still considers the county’s mental health care a mess that needs some kind of resolution.

“Working with other counties presents obstacles, and I don’t seem to see a light at the end of that tunnel,” she said.

Rep. Tom Dent, who called Swartz a mentor and the person largely responsible for his political career, said he would miss her, and hoped she would continue to remain politically engaged and involved.

“I hate to see her go,” he said.

“I’ll be a nuisance out there to somebody,” Swartz replied.

Tom Taylor is scheduled to be sworn in Swartz’s successor on Dec. 29.

Swartz’s husband Don, who owns J&M Electrical in Moses Lake, said he is “absolutely” excited to have his wife home so they can spend some “quality time traveling.”

Swartz herself, however, was looking forward to spending more time helping with the family business, tending her garden, and painting.

“We’ll have time to go off and do stuff that old people do,” she said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.