Council candidates answer questions
Note: Candidates Todd Voth and Jason Avila did not return questionnaires.
Moses Lake City Council Position No. 1
Name: Dean Hankins
Age: 71
Occupation: Retired United States Air Force. Retired physician assistant.
Please list any previous government or management experience: 25 years in the USAF, two 1-year tours in Vietnam and time in different base hospitals as assistant manager of an emergency room, manager for the hospital transportation department, including the ambulance service, and manager of a medical surgical ward.
Why are you running? Moses Lake has been my home since 1989; the community has been a good place to live and finish raising my family. When it was suggested to me to run for city council I initially refused saying, “you know how much I hate politics." But after it was brought up a few times I began to think (I can't think of any way to say it truthfully without sounding a little corny) this would be a good way to give something back to the city I call home and the place that has treated me so well. I also spent many years practicing medicine as a physician assistant, working in family practice, the emergency room, gynecology, urgent care, and pediatrics where caring for patients with a variety of problems and complaints is a constant test of your management skills.
What are your goals for the position? I have a lifetime experience working with people and I look forward to working in harmony with the rest of the city council and all the city staff. One of my main concerns is fiscal responsibility. In these times of tight money for the citizens and the city we need to be extremely careful how we spend the people's money. Before I would spend money on any project there are specific questions that have to be answered. First, what are the benefits to the citizens of Moses Lake? Second, what is the total upfront cost? And third, what are the secondary costs? Secondary cost includes any projected funds for such things as upkeep and personnel and most important, what other projects will not be funded or underfunded because of this expenditure.
Name: Mike Riggs
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired educator, community volunteer, house husband.
Please list any previous government or management experience: 28 years as an administrator in public education, volunteer board member for Big Bend Community College Foundation and Serve Moses Lake, co-chair for Moses Lake Trails Planning Team.
Why are you running? To further community service and enhance the quality of our community.
What are your goals for the position? To serve the Moses Lake community through the democratic process, building a community that values all citizens.
Moses Lake City Council Position No. 2
Name: Karen Liebrecht
Age: 51
Occupation: Small business owner of Animal Crackers in Moses Lake.
Please list any previous government or management experience: The only government experience I have other than the city council is serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee for two years. We have owned Animal Crackers for 36 years.
Why are you running? I believe in this city. I enjoy serving it. I am here at the people's request and if they choose not to have me, because this is my third term, then I respect that. But I really enjoy being a part of this city and the policy making and I just feel comfortable speaking for the people. I enjoy that and feel like I give a voice to the average person in Moses Lake.
What are your goals for the position? I want us to be able to live within our budget. I think that is a very difficult thing right now. Inflation not only affects the average citizen, it affects the city as well. So with minimum wage increases, with salary increases and just inflation as a whole, we need to be careful with how we spend and also balance the spending. It is very difficult to increase your revenue to counteract inflation, because the city deals with that, just as well as the average consumer does. So there comes a point in time where no one likes to raise taxes, but in all honesty sometimes there is no escape from it. And that is one of the reasons for the Transportation Benefit District that is coming with the road maintenance. With state funding cut backs it affects the cities even more. We have to do things that aren't always pleasant, but I think it's really important to educate the public on why things are done the way they are and do it as fairly as possible. And I enjoy being a listening ear and taking those comments from citizens and bringing them to the council's ear and taking it to a vote from there.
Moses Lake City Council Position No. 5
Name: David Curnel
Age: 69
Occupation: Physician
Please list any previous government or management experience: None
Why are you running? Obviously I am the incumbent and I have the experience and everything and I want to keep Moses Lake going in the direction that I think it should go, which is an emphasis on public safety and infrastructure.
What are your goals for the position? I think one of the things that we are looking at, and in fact there is a study being done right now, is we are looking at all of the fire department financials, efficiencies and inefficiencies and that study is probably going to be out in August some time. Looking at that and seeing how we can best utilize our firemen and paramedics for the future, because that is really what this is all about. I think that is one priority. Obviously I think we need to work toward getting our police department up to its full number; we are down probably I think about three or four officers right now. Obviously getting that back up is a high thing on my list.
Name: Nathan Pack
Age: 32
Occupation: Entrepreneur. Owner of Pack's Delivery LLC.
Please list any previous government or management experience: Past board member of Moses Lake Business Association. Past president of the Moses Lake Business Association. Current ambassador of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce. 2016 runner-up for Grant County commissioner.
Why are you running? I've been a resident of Moses Lake for 11 years. I've done a lot in my life and have put myself into many different situations. I feel very accomplished thus far. I've handled situations the correct way and some the incorrect way, trying to learn from each as I go through life. I grew up in rural Royal City, working on the farm as a young boy. I've owned my own successful startup business since I was 26 years old. I purchased my first home in Moses Lake at the age of 23. I own a duplex and manage the rentals. I'm married with two children. I've sat as president of the Moses Lake Business Association. I've been to jail and I've visited 14 different countries on four different continents, to list a few things. With all that I've been through in my 32 years of life, I've put myself into various situations that many people haven't, thus giving me a great deal of perspective on a variety of levels. I've had to deal with city government a lot and until I started my business, I knew nothing about politics or city government. Since then I've been very involved in the community and seen the major impact and implications it has on the community. Before I started my business, I didn't know who our city council members were, what they did, how often they met and the importance of them. I'm running because we the people need to know who our council members are, we need to know what they're about, what kind of decisions they make on our behalf. I will be a council member that is elected by the people for the people, not selected.
What are your goals for the position? My ultimate goal is to be the ear for the public. I want to make decisions based on what's best for the people of Moses Lake, not what's best for me. We are a small community. I know the importance of communication and transparency. On all my political campaign signage and social media I've attached my personal cell phone number and my personal email. I'm very approachable in public. I want the constituents of Moses Lake to feel comfortable reaching out to me standing in line at the supermarket or restaurant to ask questions, voice concerns and engage in what's best for Moses Lake as a whole. I want to bring customer service back to being a public servant.