Incumbent council member KC Kuykendall moved to Waitsburg from Colorado in 2010 and quickly became active in the community. He first ran and was elected to council in 2013.

"I come from a blue-collar family of loggers, truck drivers, and construction workers, while my wife's family has been farming and ranching around Pendleton and Athena for many generations. We love this land and the rural communities of Eastern Washington," Kuykendall said.

"My career in engineering and business management helps me to appreciate the need for a healthy economy and job creation in order for families who love our rural lifestyle to be able to raise their families here," he added.

Kuykendall has served on the Walla Walla County Planning Commission since 2013, is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Washington Cities, and was recently appointed to the State Public Works Board.

"I have a strong commitment to my civic duty. I've donated much of my time to participating in local and regional issues (fairgrounds revitalization, shoreline master plan, regional transportation planning) and am actively involved with our state legislators advocating for local interests," Kuykendall said.

Increasing state and federal mandates, aging infrastructure, limited financial resources, and limited job opportunities place an increasing tax burden on property owners and make it harder for those who want to stay in Waitsburg to do so, he said.

"As a council member I have consistently pushed for all major decisions by the city to be made under advisement of the citizens. I will continue to advocate for public communications and to listen to the citizens in Waitsburg as we take steps to invigorate downtown commercial enterprises, evaluate public tax and investment strategies, maintain the 'one-of-a-kind' nature that Waitsburg has enjoyed for over a hundred years, and to collaborate with regional and state authorities to ensure that we are well supported by the County and State," Kuykendall said.