Benton City to get its first new mayor in 8 years. Here are its choices on Nov. 7

Benton City will be picking a new mayor in the November election after Linda Lehman decided not to run again after serving in the position for eight years.

Voters may choose between Jake Mokler, who has been elected twice to the city council, and Len Burton, who said he had not planned to run, but was urged to file for office by some city council members and city staff.

Burton has lived in Benton City since 2012 and has volunteered thousands of hours on projects in the town, he said during the League of Women Voters candidate forum.

In August, he rounded up 30,000 pounds of goods for food banks, he said.

He recently built three picnic tables for a public park and has worked to improve the town’s boat ramp area.

At one time the a park covered most of the cleared area at the boat basin and he would like to see the area again developed into a park, he said in the Benton County Voters’ Pamphlet.

He also wants to see the Interstate 82 South Sub-Area project move forward with guidance to improve the project’s success.

Another priority is seeking Washington state and county support for another bridge to improve safety and provide timely emergency response should the current Yakima River bridge be blocked, he said.

He has career experience working with contractors, government agencies and the Yakama Nation, which he would bring to the mayor’s job, he said.

His work history includes being the general manager of Russ Dean’s Family RV Center and sales at Valmont Industries, according to his LinkedIn biography. He has overseen design, sales and installation of large pivot irrigation projects for 12 years.

Mokler was elected to the council in 2015 and 2019 before making the difficult decision to resign a year ago for personal reasons, according to the voters’ pamphlet.

He’s now ready to step back into public service and lead Benton City, he said.

He also has served as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with Benton Fire District 2 for 30 years.

In February 2020, he led a vote of no confidence against Mayor Lehman after the resignation of a city clerk. Lehman said it was unfair to lay the blame for high staff turnover on her. She managed staff, among other duties, for about $10,500 a year in salary and benefits in the part-time position

If elected mayor, Mokler said he would work with the council to stabilize Benton City and ensure reasonable growth that does not overwhelm the town and for infrastructure planning.

People of all socio-economic groups need to be included and listened to as economic opportunities are explored, he said.

Retaining Benton City’s “small town feel” is important as city leadership works to leave a stable environment for future generations, he said.

He did not participate in the League of Women Voters candidate forum.

The election is Nov. 7. Benton City has a ballot drop box at 1009 Dale Ave., Benton City, or ballots may be mailed several days before the election to ensure they are postmarked by Nov. 7.

This story was originally published October 25, 2023 at 12:54 PM.