The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA – Republican Todd Kimball is running for the Walla Walla County District 2 commissioner seat, representing northeast Walla Walla County. Kimball is running against Democrat Randal Son. If elected, he will replace Commissioner Perry Dozier who is supporting Kimball as his replacement.

Kimball is a sixth-generation Walla Walla County resident. He earned his bachelor degree in accounting from Whitworth College and works as a CPA and farmer. He was previously elected to the office of Walla Walla County Conservation District Supervisor.

"A county commissioner's most important role is being a good steward of the county's resources. That includes financial resources, natural resources, and protecting resources (services) available to county residents," Kimball said.

Kimball listed work experience and education as two of the strengths he would bring to the table as commissioner.

"A strong financial background and an understanding of the county commissioner's role in the community are vital to performing the job of commissioner. Being a CPA and business owner give me the strong financial background needed to successfully handle the budgeting process and ability to dissect each individual department's budget. Those individual budgets are then absorbed into the overall county budget. I will be able to step right in and be an active participant in the budgeting process without a steep learning curve due to my education and experiences," he said.

Kimball said maintaining current services with an increased demand on public resources is one of the most urgent issues faced by the county in general.

"The biggest issue facing our county commissioners (and county as a whole) is the increasing demand on public resources. How do you allocate funds to continue to maintain current services for both the public needs and the elected officials' needs? Public safety should always be a top priority for any community and it would be for me. Public safety includes not only law enforcement, but continued county road improvements and maintenance, as well as the services provided by Community Health," he said.

Kimball said he wants to be a strong voice for District 2 residents in Waitsburg, Prescott, Dixie and northeast Walla Walla County.

"The rural parts of Walla Walla County need representation on this very important board. With Perry's impending retirement from this board, I saw that the rural parts of our county would be losing a strong voice. I want to be that voice for rural Walla Walla. The Voluntary Stewardship Program is a good example of how we can help rural residents who are impacted by state and federal requirements. The VSP allows for local control over how regulations are tailored to local (even individual) landowners," he said.

When it comes to communications and decision-making between the commissioners and Sheriff's Office, Kimball said communication is all-important.

"Communication is the key for all department heads and the county commissioners. Listening is a skill that I have learned over a lifetime of teamwork on local boards and working as both an employee and an employer. I understand that I will not always have the best solution and be willing to listen to other perspectives.

"As a commissioner I have to work with all department heads to help them make their departments work as best as they can within the available funds of the county. I believe that employee retention is the backbone to all departments. Specifically, for the Sheriff's Office, I would explore the opportunity to reduce the wage gap between sheriff's deputies and other law enforcement officers in the area. As always, it would have to fit into the current budget without depleting reserve funds," Kimball said.

When asked what makes him a better candidate than his opponent, Kimball listed his financial background, and his service on local boards and with the conservation district.

"Every decision that a county commissioner makes has some impact on the financial viability of Walla Walla County. I have the financial background to review, analyze and dissect proposed budgets from each department and the ability to understand how they dovetail into the budget as a whole.

"My experience on local Boards of Directors also gives me a fuller understanding of the issues that confront our community as a whole. My experience on the Northwest Grain Growers board gave me an understanding of how important the Railroad and Waterways are to the economic viability of our local agricultural products, be they grain, apples, livestock, or grapes, as well as our finished products including irrigation products from Nelson Irrigation, or fiber products from Boise Cascade. My experience on the Walla Walla County Conservation District gives me a better understanding of our rivers and streams and how best to protect them," he said.