Kennewick developer and trucking manager aim to unseat the mayor in the election

A developer and an assistant manager for a trucking company are challenging the Kennewick City mayor in the Aug. 3 primary to represent Ward 1.

Only residents of the ward covering western Kennewick may vote for the position in the primary.

The top two vote-getters will move on to the Nov. 2 general election.

Deadline for online voter registration is July 26, and the in-person registration deadline is Aug. 3.

On the ballot are Mayor Don Britain; Gretl Crawford, the owner of a custom home building and commercial development company; and Jacob Finkbeiner, who has experience in the trucking industry, including previously running a trucking company.

Mayor Don Britain was elected to the council in 2009 and has been selected by fellow council members to serve as mayor since 2018.

“My years of experienced leadership is needed now more than ever,” he said in his statement for the voter’s pamphlet.

Five of the current seven Kennewick council members have less than four years of experience, he said.

During his years on the council, the Southridge area has been developed, creating 300 new jobs, he said at the virtual candidate forum of the League of Women Voters of Benton and Franklin counties.

He was the only one of the three candidates for Ward 1 to attend the forum and answer questions, although Crawford submitted an opening statement to be read since she was out of town.

In addition the council has completed the Bob Olson Parkway, the Highway 395 interchange is under construction and the council has greatly improved partnerships, including with the Home Builders Association and the Port of Kennewick, Britain said.

Efficiency has been improved with the input of developers and businesses to create streamlined processes, such as express permitting and one-stop customer service, he said.

“It is important that Kennewick does not reverse course and move backwards,” he said.

Britain is an employee of Ben Franklin Transit, after being fired from his Washington state Department of Social and Health Services job after an administrative review related to a relationship with a client.

The state review led to an ethics complaint being filed against him by three of his fellow councilmen, but the complaint was dismissed because it was not considered related to his city position.

He has challenged all candidates for the Kennewick City Council to run positive campaigns, posting on social media that “there is no room for bringing the recent national personal negative campaigning to the local level.”

Gretl Crawford

Crawford argues her professional experience outweighs Britain’s experience on the council.

“I believe in term limits and my business and financial activities far surpass any knowledge that he has gained from being on the city council,” she said on her campaign website.

“I have a proven success record in working with municipalities, bureaucrats, local business owners, tradespeople, bankers and the amazing people that live and work in Kennewick,” she said.

In addition to working as a developer and owning Gretl Crawford Homes and Interiors, she owns the It’s All in the Details store.

She would bring diversity to what is now an all-male council, she said.

“I will represent a majority that has not had a voice within our city government,” she said.

She supports looking at rezoning with “less regulations to support more affordable housing options,” she said on her campaign sites.

She also would address traffic impact fees and other potential barriers for new businesses to Kennewick, she said.

The fees are charged across the Tri-Cities on construction of homes and businesses to pay for transportation projects needed as a result of increased use and growth in the city, according to the city of Kennewick. The fees shift the costs from the community at large to the development increasing traffic, it says.

Jacob Finkbeiner

Finkbeiner, who has lived in Kennewick for about six years, has kept a low campaign profile.

He says his goal as a councilman would be to keep levies in check while trying to maximize Kennewick’s growth potential, according to the Benton County voter’s pamphlet.

He describes himself as nonpartisan and says he is not interested in “scoring cheap shots against opponents or faceless rival groups. A community is made up of all its members, not just the ones we agree with.”

Campaign contributions

According to filings with the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission, Britain’s largest contribution to date is $2,000 from the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 598.

Crawford has contributed $2,684 to her campaign and other contributions include $1,000 from the Tri-City Association of Realtors and from the Home Builders Association.

Finkbeiner is not required to list donors as he expects to spend less than $5,000.

This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 1:00 PM.