The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON--Mike Talbot is seeking reelection to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners in District 2. He is running unopposed.

Talbot was born and raised in Columbia County, and he and his family have farmed on the Whetstone all of his life, he said.

After graduating from Dayton High School in 1969, Talbot studied business administration at Walla Walla Community College.

"My dad was going to retire from farming, and he said that if I wanted the farm I had to do it at that time," Talbot said.

Neither his brother, Jerry, nor his brother, Elmer, wanted the farm, and so it fell to Mike Talbot to run the farm, which he has done since 1971, he said.

Talbot brings to the Board Commissioners past service, including seventeen years on the Dayton school board, six years on the board of the Columbia Grain Growers' Association, where he served as chairman for the last year he was there, he said.

In the past Talbot said he has received the Conservation District "Farmer of the Year" award. He has also coached soccer and basketball for the Dayton Schools, as well as helping with renovation of the Liberty Theater.

Talbot said that he serves currently as a voting member on the Dayton/Columbia Fund, and is on the Salmon Recovery Board, and the Watershed Partnership in Walla Walla, as well as serving on the Workforce Development Board, representing the county commissioners.

Talbot said that years ago his mother piqued his interest about becoming a county commissioner, and that she thought that would be a good fit for him, he said.

"That always stuck in my mind," said Talbot, who decided to go ahead after his service on the school board.

"I think we have good things started. We're more financially stable," Talbot said.

"It feels like your job just isn't done, yet. You spend the first two years learning, and the next two years getting your footing under you," he said.

"I think I have had a good four years. We've added about $250 million to our tax base, and so I'm thinking, with the Pulp Mill, and the Windmills, we will have continued success, and can hold people's taxes down, Talbot said.