Richland candidates weigh in on housing, the homeless and Hanford cleanup

Affordable housing, Hanford nuclear site cleanup and homelessness are among the list of issues raised by the Richland candidates facing off in the August primary.

Two incumbents, longtime Councilman Bob Thompson and appointee Marianne Boring, are each vying to keep their position.

Thompson has two challengers, both business owners — Chaune’ Fitzgerald, owner of Salon Remedi, and Jhoanna Jones, founder of Options Commercial Mortgage.

In the second race, Boring has two opponents still in the running.

Theresa Richardson is former director of Habitat for Humanity and Mike Luzzo is a security professional and former council candidate. A fourth candidate, Elijah Stanfield says he’s no longer interested in the position, but missed the deadline to drop out. He is throwing his support behind Richardson.

The two top candidates in both races will move on to face each other in the general election in November.

Richland’s seven-member city council sets policies and adopts ordinances and oversees a $289 million budget for the city of about 56,000.

Position 1

Chaune’ Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald, the founder of Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities and winner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award, wants to bring new ways of thinking to the council.

She is looking to find ways to expand affordable housing.

“The city’s narrow focus on development results in social inequity and disparities to wealth and and adequate healthcare,” she said. “I will bring a new perspective to the city council with my vision, experience and innovative solutions to our civic, economic development, infrastructure, drug epidemic and homelessness crisis.”

She sees homelessness as a growing problem in Richland and one that has been ignored on a city council level, she said. She wants to find ways to help people find places to live.

Fitzgerald has a lengthy list of community organizations she has participated in. Many of them aimed at helping people in need, including Women Helping Women, the Tri-Cities Chapter of The Links and Food 4 Good. She said those interactions have given her a unique perspective on people in need.

“For over a decade, I have served the underrepresented and at-risk citizens of Tri-Cities by implementing change towards equality, social justice and economic development,” Fitzgerald told the Herald. “I believe in giving back and serving the community where I live, work and play. I will restore the vision and voice of our community at city hall.”

People can find more information about Fitzgerald at her Facebook page.

Jhoanna Jones

Jones, a commercial real estate agent, has been helping businesses navigate the federal programs aimed at helping businesses struggling after COVID-19. That includes economic injury disaster loans, the paycheck protection program and the restaurant revitalization fund.

The mortgage firm she helped start also helps small Tri-Cities businesses that weren’t able to get funding from other sources.

She pointed out that restaurants and bars were particularly devastated by the pandemic.

“Our city needs to get back to work, and I want to help strengthen the businesses hardest hit by the pandemic. I want to use my business expertise to help our business community get access to capital, downtown revitalization, skills training, and capacity building,“ she said.

In addition, the city’s 20-year plan doesn’t address the issues faced by the business community after the pandemic, or the additional growth expected for the city.

“We must preserve our historical past and actively pursue new ideas to ensure a brighter future for our kids to thrive and grow old and stay in our community,” Jones said in the Benton County voter’s pamphlet.

People can learn more about Jones at her website, www.votejhoanna.com.

Bob Thompson

Thompson, a Richland native, is one of the longest serving councilmen and is running again because he continues to be concerned about clean up at the Hanford nuclear site.

“I think the best question to ask is, ‘Why would an old guy like me keep running?’” he said during a League of Women Voters forum. “It’s environmental concerns. ... We have 56 million gallons of liquid nuclear waste, and it’s a danger and a risk to everybody in out community.”

Thompson did not respond to questions from the Herald or offer a statement to the Benton County voter guide. But during the pandemic, Thompson has been an outspoken critic of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reaction to the COVID-19 virus, including questioning the seriousness of the disease.

He has supported efforts to increase the number of apartments in the city. That includes a change to city codes to allow a business to convert an aging motel into small apartments.

“I think a lot of times communities have First World issues, where everything is good, and you have enough resources to take care of things that other communities or other countries can’t,” he said at the League of Women’s Voter’s forum. “The goal of a city is to provide safety and public service at a fair and reasonable price.”

Position 2

Marianne Boring

Boring, the owner of a small businesses focused on project management, site acquisition and zoning, was a fixture on the Richland Planning Commission for more than 14 years before getting picked to fill the seat left by Brad Anderson in 2020.

After serving nine months, she is running to serve the remaining two years of his term so she can continue to strengthen the qualities of Richland that make it a good place to live. Planning and setting the rules for how people can use land is the cornerstone of helping to create more housing and jobs, she said.

“Sound land use planning helps citizens develop a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle,” she told the Herald. “I’d have to say over 80 percent of the council’s agenda packets since my appointment has had some sort of land use associated item included for review and action.”

She is looking to help Richland grow smartly by providing the flexibility needed to encourage more affordable housing to be built. This philosophy would also help preserve the open space and natural beauty of the area.

She wants to see work start on bi-county commissions to address issues around mental health and homelessness. People from both the public and private sector should be involved and include people who work with people every day, she said.

“I firmly believe it’s too big of a problem for Richland to solve on our own,” she told the Herald.

Finally, she is looking for ways to help and encourage more people to get involved with the community.

People can find more information on Boring’s Facebook page.

Mike Luzzo

Luzzo is returning for another attempt to get a seat on the Richland City Council. The perennial candidate last ran in an attempt to unseat Councilman Phil Lemley.

He supports increased development along Jadwin Avenue, Queensgate and Kingsgate Drive. He wanted to encourage the city to build taller buildings, he told the Herald.

Along with the increasing development, Luzzo wants to keep a close eye on how much the city collects in taxes.

He also is concerned about the locked bathrooms and the poor trash collection that he sees at city parks. In particular, he noted the bathrooms at Leslie Groves Park were locked the last time he went there.

He is a retired veteran and former security professional.

Theresa Richardson

Richardson has lived in the Tri-Cities for more than 30 years and has led the Tri-County Partners Habitat for Humanity for 10 years.

She currently is a member of Richland’s Economic Development County and has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Union Gospel Mission.

“I’m running because after retiring as the 10-year CEO of Habitat for Humanity and very engaged in the community, I still desire a seat at the table. My professional background, leadership and life experience will reinforce a thoughtful plan for Richland’s future,” she told the Herald.

After canvassing more than 2,300 homes, homelessness came back as the most important issue for many residents, she said. She wants to make sure to protect people’s property values, business investments and public spaces, while helping the people who need drug treatment or mental health support.

As far as affordable housing, Richardson has devoted much of her career to helping people get the chance to own a home.

“Cities of every size are grappling with the lack of available affordable housing,” she said. “The city cannot solve this problem alone. I believe that it will require innovative approaches working in part with the private sector, nonprofit organizations and public agencies.”

Finally, she is looking to help the city’s central district before it becomes blighted. She suggested surveying the businesses to find the gaps in services and knowledge among those struggling after the COVID shut downs.

“Regarding public safety, I believe that we all want to live in a community where we are at peace and each voice is respected,” she said. “I support additional police training to be able to better respond under tremendous pressure and split-second decision making.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 11:12 AM.