Benitz leading for new fire district commission seat

Former Benton County commissioner Max Benitz Jr. had a substantial lead over former Prosser police chief Win Taylor on Tuesday night in the election for the West Benton Regional Fire Authority Commission.

Voters approved a proposition in 2014 to form the new fire department in Prosser to replace Benton Fire District 3, with a reorganized board with five commissioner positions.

In the other contested commissioner positions, David Moon and Randy Fox were leading.

Benitz had 707 votes to Taylor’s 362, or 66 percent of the votes counted so far.

Moon had 756 votes to Day’s 235 votes, or 76 percent. Moon has experience as an emergency medical technician and firefighter for Benton Fire District 3.

Fox had 626 votes to Stewart’s 412, or 60 percent. Both have served as commissioners for Fire District 3, with Fox a commissioner for more than a decade.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Benitz leading for new fire district commission seat."