Voth-Ecret switch sneaky and unethical

A point of clarification is needed regarding the recent manipulation of the city council election process by Moses Lake Mayor Todd Voth and Councilman Bill Ecret.

Ecret and Voth had already filed for council positions. But they happened to be hanging out (sneaking around) at the county courthouse in Ephrata in the late afternoon of the last day to file for election, and decided to switch positions. The result made Ecret a last—minute uncontested candidate (two candidates had filed to run against him.) In his filing, Ecret lists his address as a post office box.

Voth’s and Ecret’s actions demonstrate better than words their contempt for the people of Moses Lake.

They were able to game the election process because Moses Lake City Council members are elected “at large.” Many people mistakenly think Moses Lake has election districts like the PUD and county commissioners. That is not the case.

Neighborhoods like Peninsula and Knolls Vista, for instance, do not have a city council position designated to represent them.

In contrast, the local firefighters’ union, Realtors’ association and chamber of commerce each have three or four Moses Lake City Council members they can call their own.

The at-large election system allows groups like those mentioned to recruit, endorse, and finance candidates, and spread them out over the council positions that come up each election cycle. (They don’t want their candidates running against each other.) The idea is to stack the council on behalf of their interests. Resources from I—5 Corridor firefighter unions and I-5 Corridor Realtor organizations poured into our last city council elections.

If Moses Lake had election districts, candidates would have to live in the districts for which they file for election. If Moses Lake had election districts, Voth and Ecret could not have pulled their stunt (short of swapping residences at the last minute).

This is not an endorsement of changing the city charter to provide for election districts in city council elections. However, Voth’s and Ecret’s creative manipulation of the at—large system has people asking questions, feeling deceived, and wondering how this type of unethical activity can be prevented in the future.

Doug Sly

Moses Lake