Election: Candidates for contested Richland council seats answer your questions

I am happy to have been on council when the TUA was adopted. I think it is very prudent to utilize tax breaks to attract businesses to the area.

These new businesses, or expansions as in ATI, bring with them more job opportunities to the community. While the city foregoes some considerable amount of tax revenue for a time, you can’t tax what isn’t there, and these new developments will strengthen the city’s revenue in the future.

There has been deliberation about a new library in south Richland. The Richland library provides great services to the community, but its location limits its reach.

There is definitely support for it, but the issue is the financial burden not only of opening and operating a new library, but of other obligations like a new Police Station. I’m not sure where the best place to put a new library would be. This would have to be determined through a study of the cost of development and how many people any potential location is likely to service.

We need to encourage and support drug rehabilitation programs that deal with the core issue of drug addiction. This is the only compassionate way to deal with that fundamental issue.

People who are overcome by addiction cannot be allowed to slowly kill themselves in public while destroying public and private property. That is not a good situation for anybody.

Things like the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition and our Resource Navigator can help people out of these situations to be healthy and productive members of society again.

A solution does need to be found here as there have been mounting concerns about the shortcomings of the animal control services provided to the city.

I do not know what the best course of action is at the moment, but the longer the issue progresses the worse it gets.

I am in favor of saving our Fire and EMS services the extra strain that unrestricted fireworks brings on the 4th of July. Richland has positive data that proves the current ordinances have had a positive effect.

However, just because you can’t purchase restricted fireworks in Richland does not mean that people can’t and won’t go to outside the city to bring them in, and just because you’re not legally allowed to fire them off outside of the permitted times doesn’t mean you can’t get away with it.

The complexity of enforcing these ordinances makes it nearly impossible. Ultimately, the fireworks issue comes down to people being safe and respectful of their neighbors.

We can fix zoning issues to allow higher density housing and mixed use developments that bring people and the services they need closer together.

One problem with redeveloping some areas of central Richland is pre-existing developments that would need to be demolished. This adds costs to any project that tilt the scale towards developments that have higher profit margins to absorb them.

If the city abolishes parking minimums much of the parking lots that sit mostly empty could be easily repurposed, opening up a lot of opportunity.

Yes, I support Targeted Urban Area (TUA) tax breaks when they directly create family-wage jobs for Richland residents. These incentives attract new industry, expand the tax base, and grow the economy without overburdening current taxpayers.

However, strict accountability is essential—clear job creation benchmarks and performance reviews must ensure benefits outweigh costs. After recent proposals to expand TUAs failed, Richland must keep these incentives targeted, transparent, and tied to real results that strengthen our long-term economic base.

No, I oppose building a south Richland library branch because it would raise taxes and divert funds from maintaining our excellent central facility. Unlike Kennewick and Pasco, Richland operates independently from the Mid-Columbia Libraries system.

The new 2025 reciprocal borrowing agreement already gives residents free access to library cards, interlibrary loans, and digital resources from Mid-Columbia Libraries. That expanded access meets south Richland’s needs without duplicating facilities or increasing costs.

To protect parks, Richland should strictly enforce camping bans under Chapter 8.10 and expand patrols through targeted police presence and rapid-response teams. Improved lighting, cameras, and motion sensors will deter vandalism and illegal activity.

At the same time, partnerships with local social services can connect those struggling with homelessness or addiction to help. This balanced approach will keep parks safe, clean, and welcoming for families year-round.

Richland’s animal control program works well but needs more resources to handle growing stray populations. I support enhanced trapping and impoundment through the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter, with strong coordination with local partners to manage feral colonies humanely—prioritizing adoption when possible and humane outcomes when necessary.

Increasing enforcement against abandonment and promoting spay/neuter education will reduce colonies faster. These steps protect wildlife, improve neighborhood safety, and keep our community cleaner and healthier.

I support the current fireworks ordinance allowing consumer fireworks from June 28 to July 5 (noon–11 p.m., extended to midnight on July 4) and New Year’s Eve. Celebrating our nation’s independence responsibly is part of America’s tradition. The existing rules strike the right balance between freedom and safety.

Consistent enforcement and public education—not new restrictions—are the best ways to keep celebrations enjoyable and safe for everyone.

Richland should streamline zoning reforms to encourage mixed-use projects around George Washington Way, integrating housing, retail, and offices for a lively commercial hub. Eliminate minimum parking requirements to cut costs and boost walkability, prioritizing designs that create inviting spaces for gathering and recreation—especially enhancing waterfront access at Columbia Point and Howard Amon Park via public-private partnerships.

Advance the Downtown Loop project, converting George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue into a one-way couplet to ease congestion, improve safety, and draw in visitors. This fosters vibrant, pedestrian-friendly communities and aligns with Richland’s 2024–2026 Strategic Plan for sustainable, small-business-driven growth.

I don’t support all tax breaks; it’s important to target them to businesses and efforts that benefit Richlanders specifically. Giving some huge company carte blanche to skip taxes in return for a handful of low-quality jobs is a bad idea, but giving local businesses that option is good for the community.

In short, it depends on the property, and it depends on the jobs.

Yes, south Richland needs a library branch, and it should be in a place that leverages existing city facilities to save on costs. Picking a specific location is something that needs broad community input.

Vandalism is a problem all by itself, and doesn’t need to be “linked” to other crimes in order to be worth fighting. I’d like to see more funding for parks staff to monitor these spaces. Part of the reason they’re easy targets is that we don’t have enough folks available to keep an eye on them.

This problem is exacerbated by the lack of defense attorneys in the area; minor crimes go unpunished because our courts system doesn’t have the resources to charge people without violating their constitutional rights. The city can’t fix that, but the county can -- demand better pay for defense attorneys so we can start enforcing the laws!

I’ve repeatedly suggested that the city should review its participation in local animal control agreements, because I don’t think we’re getting our money’s worth, and I think there’s a good chance we could handle this better on our own.

The current fireworks ordinance would be fine if it were enforced better (or at all). This sounds like a great job for the RPD drone unit. Changing the law isn’t going to do anything, since we aren’t really keeping up with the current one.

This problem is exacerbated by the lack of defense attorneys in the area; if we want progress, we have to get the county to hire more attorneys!

Abolish parking minimums, remove residental-use caps in commercial zones, raise property taxes on vacant commercial properties, and provide an incentive structure to encourage mixed-use development.