Less than a week left: GC commissioner candidates share priorities

EPHRATA — With ballots due in less than a week, Grant County voters have a limited window remaining to decide who will represent District 3 on the Board of County Commissioners. The position carries influence over issues that touch residents every day, including roads, public safety, land use, economic development, county finances and services in communities large and small.

The Columbia Basin Herald asked District 3 candidates Kelly Raap and Shannon Durfee a series of questions about representation for rural communities, difficult decisions they've faced, challenges confronting Grant County and the importance of voter participation. 

Their responses, published below, are presented largely in their own words and have been edited only for style and clarity where necessary.

Ballots must be postmarked or returned to an official ballot drop box by Nov. 3. Voters can verify their registration status and access election information through VoteWA.gov. Grant County voters may also contact the Grant County Elections Office at 509-754-2011 ext. 2704 with election-related questions.

Question: Many residents outside Moses Lake feel their communities are overlooked. How would you ensure that smaller communities such as Mattawa, Royal City, Warden, Coulee City, Wilson Creek and Electric City have a strong voice in county government?

Raap: Throughout my campaign, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with residents and community leaders in many of the outlying communities. One of the most common concerns I’ve heard is that residents feel their voices are not being heard and their communities’ needs are being overlooked. 

If elected, my goal would be to establish regular meeting opportunities, either monthly, quarterly, or as needed, where I or another commissioner could visit these communities, listen to residents, and better understand their concerns. I believe it’s more practical for a commissioner to travel to these communities than to expect residents to travel to Ephrata to have their voices heard. 

While many outlying communities share similar challenges, each also faces unique issues that deserve attention. I believe it’s important to be accessible, build relationships with local leaders, and maintain open communication with residents throughout the county. 

Once concerns are identified, I would work with community leaders, fellow commissioners, and county departments to explore practical solutions and follow through on those efforts. 

Every community in Grant County deserves to have its voice heard and its concerns taken seriously. I am committed to ensuring all of our communities have meaningful representation in county government.

Durfee: Being from Quincy, I understand how easily smaller communities can feel overlooked when attention centers on the county’s largest city. Every community deserves a commissioner who shows up, listens, and follows through.

The communities within District 3 would be a particular responsibility for me as their district representative but I'm eager to be available to the entire county. I would make a point of understanding each community's individual needs and bringing their concerns into county decisions, while honoring my responsibility to serve all of Grant County.

I would make regular visits throughout the district and county, maintain communication with local leaders and community organizations, and provide opportunities for residents to speak with me close to home. My ability to communicate in Spanish would also help me hear directly from residents who may otherwise face a language barrier.

Whether the concern is roads, emergency services, permitting, or access to county resources, residents deserve attention regardless of their community’s size. Serving means being available between elections, following up on concerns and explaining decisions—even when the answer is not what someone hoped to hear.

Question: Tell voters about a time you made a difficult or unpopular decision because you believed it was the right thing to do. How would that experience influence your work as a commissioner?

Durfee: As a Quincy School Board member, I have helped guide the district through difficult budget decisions as state requirements and rising costs stretched available funding. Higher fuel costs and insurance rates added pressure, requiring hard choices about spending and staffing.

Staffing decisions are especially difficult because they affect people, families, and the students they serve. My responsibility was to consider those impacts carefully while supporting a financially responsible budget and protecting students’ education and programs as much as possible.

Those decisions reinforced that responsible budgeting requires both discipline and compassion. We have to examine the numbers, listen to the people affected, and be honest about what we can afford.

As commissioner, I would bring that same approach to county decisions: ask difficult questions, look for efficiencies before reducing services, and consider how each choice affects employees and taxpayers. Serving responsibly sometimes means making decisions people disagree with. When that happens, residents deserve a clear explanation, respectful treatment, and accountability for the outcome.

Raap: Doing what is right is not always the easiest or most popular choice. Throughout my professional career, there have been times when I’ve had to stand firm on established rules and standards, even when it meant confronting leadership. While these situations were uncomfortable, I believed it was important to uphold the rules and maintain my integrity. I have no regrets about standing by those principles. 

I recognize that serving as County Commissioner will require making difficult decisions, and it won’t always be possible to please everyone. However, I believe honesty, integrity, and accountability must guide those decisions. 

My approach would be to listen carefully, gather the necessary information, consider how decisions will impact our communities, and make choices that serve the best interest of Grant County residents. 

I’ve learned that doing the right thing sometimes requires difficult conversations and courage to stand firm in your convictions. I will always strive to make decisions based on what is right, not simply what is popular.

Question: What's a hard truth about Grant County that elected officials don't talk about enough?

Raap: One concern I’ve heard frequently is the challenges surrounding Grant County’s current accounting processes and the difficulty the departments' leaders have experienced in accessing timely budget and expenditure information. 

Accurate, accessible financial information is essential for department leaders to effectively manage their budgets, make informed decisions, and remain accountable to taxpayers. 

I believe our current elected officials recognize these concerns and are working diligently towards solutions. While I don’t yet know the full extent of the challenges or whether they stem from software limitations, staffing needs, or other factors, I believe this issue deserves continued attention. 

With over 33 years of bookkeeping and budgeting experience, I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my knowledge and work with county leadership to identify practical solutions. 

My goal would be to help ensure our departments have the financial information and resources necessary to operate efficiently, responsibly manage taxpayer dollars, and maintain transparency and accountability. I appreciate the efforts already underway and would look forward to helping bring this issue to a successful resolution.

Durfee: Grant County can experience major economic growth while families still struggle with rising costs and communities still lack needed services. A larger tax base does not automatically mean residents feel better served.

We need to be honest about where growth creates costs, where it produces revenue, and whether those benefits reach communities throughout the county. We also need to acknowledge that government can become accustomed to processes that are slow, expensive, or difficult for the public to navigate.

Taxpayers should not have to accept “that’s how we’ve always done it” as the explanation for an avoidable problem. At the same time, we cannot promise every improvement without explaining its cost.

Elected officials owe residents clear information, realistic priorities, and a willingness to examine their own operations. Serving people includes having those uncomfortable conversations and following through on what we learn.

Question: Voter turnout in local elections is often low, even though county commissioners make decisions that affect roads, public safety, land use, taxes and other daily concerns. Regardless of who they support, what would you say to encourage Grant County residents to participate in this election and cast their ballot?

Durfee: County government makes decisions that affect your daily life: the roads you drive, emergency services, property rights, and how your tax dollars are spent. Voting is your opportunity to help shape those decisions and the future of Grant County.

Please make an informed vote. Look beyond campaign signs and promises. Consider experience, firsthand knowledge, and whether a candidate understands the responsibilities of the office. Ask questions, examine their record, and expect clear answers.

Vote for someone with the backbone and track record to stand up for Grant County when outside interests or government mandates threaten our rural way of life. We need leadership that understands our communities, respects the people who built them, and prepares responsibly for the future.

Your ballot matters, and so does your involvement after the election. Stay engaged, speak up, and hold elected officials accountable. Public service is a responsibility to the people, and residents should expect their commissioner to listen, follow through, and stand up for them.

Raap: Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility we should never take for granted. Every vote matters, especially in local elections, where decisions are made that affect our daily lives and communities. 

I believe we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the candidates and issues before casting our ballots. Throughout this election, numerous forums, candidate events, and media outlets, especially the Columbia Basin Herald, have provided opportunities for voters to become informed. I appreciate everyone who has contributed to these efforts. 

Regardless of political affiliation or preferred candidates, I encourage every eligible Grant County resident to vote. It’s one of the greatest freedoms and opportunities we have as Americans. 

Our vote is our voice and our chance to invest in Grant County’s future. 

Please take the time to show up and make your choice count to help shape our county and country’s future. Remember to have your ballot returned by Nov. 3, 2026.