2 great newcomers vie for Richland City Council. The Herald gives this candidate the nod
Richland voters will be well served regardless of who wins the city council race between Chaune Fitzgerald and Jhoanna Jones.
The two newcomers emerged out of the August primary election ahead of longtime Richland Councilman Bob Thompson, which indicates Richland voters are looking for change.
Fitzgerald and Jones have different strengths that would be of value to the community. What voters ultimately must decide is which person has the qualities most needed on the council right now.
Ultimately, we give our nod to Fitzgerald. But this was a tough call.
Fitzgerald owns a salon on the Parkway and says she sees first-hand the suffering on the streets near her business. Complaints of homelessness and drug use reach her ears on a regular basis.
She said she was asked to run by many people, and hers is a grassroots campaign.
Fitzgerald was the 2020 recipient of the Columbia Basin College Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award. It was her years of helping women and children and others in need that caught the attention of the award committee.
She is founder of Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities (WOW Tri-Cities), a service group to bring together children and parents from across the Tri-Cities. She also is a member of the Tri-City Regional Chamber and its MyTri2030 vision program, which is helping chart a course of improvement in the community.
Fitzgerald has an MBA and runs a consulting firm that helped numerous small business owners through the pandemic. In addition, last year she was appointed to the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs.
Her passion is helping those in need. If elected, her voice would bring a much-needed perspective to the city council.
Jones is a small business owner, commercial real estate agent and lender who speaks to the business community every day. She says it is time for the community to get back to work,
She is a member of the Tri-Cities Legislative Council and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. One of the reasons she has decided to run for office is because she was not satisfied with how her neighborhood’s concerns were addressed by the city years ago. A zoning change created more traffic, and made making a left turn into their housing development dangerous.
Citizens felt dismissed by their city leaders, and she wants to be a representative that people can go to with such problems. Jones strikes us as someone who will work and work until she finds a solution — an admirable trait for an elected leader.
She is critical of the city’s plans to turn motels into micro-apartments, saying “there’s no such thing” as a high-end, 500-square-foot unit and that the project should have included a variety of apartment sizes.
Jones speaks her mind and we’ve no doubt that, if elected, her opinion would carry much weight on the council.
We highly recommend that voters watch the video recording of our interview with both candidates to get a broader picture of what each has to offer. Typically, The Herald editorial board tries to meet with both candidates at the same time in order to facilitate a back-and-forth discussion, as well as ensure that candidates have a chance to defend themselves if some claim comes up.
Unfortunately, we could not get our schedules to mesh and we ended up interviewing Fitzgerald and Jones separately. The video is still worth watching.
While we think Jones would make a fine addition to the city council, Fitzgerald’s connection to those struggling in the community to make ends meet swayed us in her direction.
The council can use someone who has the ear of downtown Richland.
The Tri-City Herald recommends Chaune Fitzgerald for Richland City Council, Position 1.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREBehind Our Election Recommendations
Who decides the recommendations?
Members of The Tri-City Herald editorial board is comprised of experienced opinion journalists and community members, and is separate from The Herald’s newsroom. Conversations are on the record.
What does the recommendation process entail?
Whenever possible, The Herald editorial board meets with opposing candidates at the same time. The questions are largely focused on a candidate’s qualifications and goals. The editorial board then discusses the candidates in each race and decides who to recommend. Board members seek to reach a consensus on our recommendations, but not every decision is unanimous.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making recommendations, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues, their understanding of public policy and their ability to work with the current board . We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats.
Why are the editorials unsigned?
Our election recommendations reflect the collective views of The Herald’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. For the 2022 election, the board includes: Cecilia Rexus, Herald editorial writer; Laurie Williams, Herald executive editor; Jack Briggs, retired Herald publisher; Ken Robertson, retired Herald executive director; Matt Taylor, retired Herald editorial writer; Mike Paoli and Martin Valadez, community representatives.