Grant Co. Commission candidates discuss policies at American Legion

EPHRATA – Candidates for the Grant County Commissioner, auditor's office, U.S. Representatives and Grant Public Utility District gathered at American Legion Post 28 Oct. 23 to discuss and debate policies. 

The forum was moderated by Legion Past President Mike Montaney with Mike Shay keeping time for the candidates. 

Both Grant County Commissioner District One candidates, Amador J. Castro and Kevin R. Burgess attended the forum. Coverage on the other candidates will be released in our Friday edition.  

Amador Castro, a small business owner and educator, opened the discussion by emphasizing his strong work ethic and commitment to public service. 

“I come from a family of migrant workers who taught me early on what it means to be a hard worker,” Castro said. “I put passion into the work I do, and anything that I do and that is something that I have done in every job that I have had since I was 13 years old … I put passion into it and that’s exactly what I want to do when I become County Commissioner.”

Castro also touched on his journey to becoming a teacher without following the traditional university path.  

“When I became a teacher, I was put in a classroom with zero training and within a year I was recognized nationally for my work,” Castro said. “So that's the same kind of passion that I will have as county commissioner because ultimately, it’s about the people.  

Burgess introduced himself as an adoptive parent, small business owner of a coffee stand Burgess has run with his wife of 18 years and real estate agent and entrepreneur for 30 years. 

“I love my job and that's the dedication I’ll bring to the commissioner position if elected in November,” Burgess said. 

Burgess was nominated and voted as the realtor of the year two years ago in the State of Washington. 

According to Castro, one of the most pressing issues facing Grant County is public safety.

“From my conversations with community members, it's clear that many feel a lack of presence from the sheriff’s department,” Castro said. “Increasing funding for public safety can help address those concerns.” 

In contrast, Burgess focused on the budgetary challenges.  

“The jail is one of the biggest costs we face right now, and we need to ensure we address this correctly,” Burgess said.  

Burgess also mentioned the building of a new morgue, which the county is currently trying to find land for, possibly a plot of land recently surplused by the Moses Lake School District. Burgess highlighted solid waste management as a critical issue, particularly the recent decision to expand the landfill in the county.  

When asked about his familiarity with budgetary processes, Castro admitted that he is not well-versed in the current county system. However, he expressed confidence in his ability to learn and apply his business knowledge to the position.  

Burgess said that he plans on working directly with the auditor's office and working at a roundtable to look over the entire budgeting process.  

“I believe it is important that we make sure that the money is being spent where it’s supposed to be spent,” Burgess said.  

Burgess is opposed to raising the property tax increase threshold beyond the current 1% limit, he said.  

“I don’t agree with increasing taxes. We need to manage our money better rather than raising taxes on residents,” Burgess said. 

Montaney began switching questions for candidates, so Castro did not answer the same questions, instead, he responded to a question regarding setting the budget to favor a specific office or department.  

“I honestly can’t say that I favor any one department over the other,” Castro said. “I think all departments within the county are super important.”  

Castro said he would need to hear each department head’s requests for funding and judge them individually and work within the county’s available resources to balance departmental needs. 

In discussing infrastructure and economic development, Castro pointed out that attracting businesses to Grant County requires the cities to build the necessary infrastructure.  

“From what I understand, the county doesn’t have infrastructure for that type of growth,” Castro said. “We want to invite different industries in, but it’s ultimately up to the cities that the industries are going into that are responsible for that infrastructure.”  

Burgess countered that the county should play an active role in fostering the right business environment.  

“I think it’s all of our responsibility to make sure that we attract the right businesses to our area,” Burgess said. “I think the county has to get involved. We need to do as much as we can responsibly to bring the right businesses. We all want to create jobs, but on the other hand (do we) want to bring that business here?” 

Both candidates expressed a commitment to serving the residents of Grant County while addressing the significant challenges they face. With Castro’s background in education and business ownership and Burgess’s extensive experience in real estate and financial management, voters have distinct options as they prepare for the upcoming election. 

  

 Republican Amador J. Castro discusses his background in education and policies at the American Legion Post 28 forum. Castro is running for Grant County Commissioner District 1.
  

Correction: Kevin Burgess' final quote has been updated.