Benton City candidate accused of living outside the city. Here’s what the judge said

A 25-year-old man trying to unseat a Benton City councilman will appear on the November ballot after proving to a Tri-Cities judge that he lives in the city.

Alex Weber got the most votes in the primary but then a Benton City voter sued.

At issue was Weber’s residency and whether he in fact lived within city limits in the time necessary before he filed to run for office.

Voter Stephen Zetz filed a petition in August contesting Weber’s right to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Following a lengthy hearing in Benton County Superior Court — which included testimony from a number of residents and city officials — Judge Cameron Mitchell ruled that Zetz failed to prove that Weber was ineligible.

Mitchell said the results of the Aug. 3 primary should stand, clearing the way for Weber to move on to the general election.

The judge also acknowledged the “Herculean efforts” of the attorneys in preparing the case in a short period of time.

They were up against a Sept. 3 deadline for the Benton County Auditor’s Office to submit the candidate information to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office for the voters’ pamphlet, which is mailed to all voters.

In the primary, Weber received 292 votes, or 44%, to incumbent Councilman David Sandretto’s 265 votes for 40 percent.

A third candidate, Lori “Mama” Cornish, came in third with 101 votes.

On his campaign website, Weber said, “It is time for a fresh voice of representation — I am running for Benton City Council Position 3 to help facilitate the success of this beautiful city!”

Weber’s lawyer, Benjamin W. Dow, argued that his client’s candidacy should not be in question because he “sufficiently exposed himself to the needs and wants of the community since March of 2020.”

“The community decided that they wanted Mr. Weber to advance past the primary,” said Dow of Pasco. “There is a significant community interest in this position.”

Kiona Gallup, Zetz’s lawyer, replied that “putting on a show for the city” does nothing to establish just when Weber started living in Benton City.

She called a series of people to the witness stand to talk about whether they had seen Weber around town or at properties linked to him or his family. The Weber family is in the business of buying and flipping real estate, she said.

Gallup disputed Dow’s claim that Weber had been in the community since March 2020, saying there’s no evidence putting him in Benton City until May 2021, when he registered to vote in Benton County.

“He is a young man that has excited the community, and there is nothing wrong with that,” said Gallup, with Community Advocates Northwest in Kent.

“But there is something wrong with the fact that somebody that was not a resident of the city is now trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes and say, ‘It doesn’t matter if I wasn’t a resident. I can’t establish exactly when that was, but look at all the good that I’m doing for the city. It shouldn’t matter.’”

During the hearing, Zetz testified it was while he was part of the Proposition 1 committee to change Benton City’s form of government that questions about Weber’s residency started popping up on Facebook.

He decided to “do my own homework” and research it further.

Asked why he was so concerned and filed the petition, Zetz said, “Just to ensure that Benton City is, we’re a small town, everyone knows everyone, and to make sure that we’re not electing people who have outside interests.”

Weber testified at the hearing that he is a Chiawana High School graduate who went on to The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. From there he moved to New York City after getting the opportunity to work on Wall Street.

Weber said he lost his job and moved back to Washington state in March 2020, first living in his parents’ home, which is about 300 yards or a quarter-mile outside the Benton City limits.

Within a few months, he started getting involved in the community and its revitalization, which Judge Mitchell said showed Weber’s intent to make Benton City his home.

Weber said he moved around living with other relatives in Benton City while trying to settle on a property that he wanted to buy.