3 face off in Aug. 1 election for Richland’s council seat after the mayor stepped aside
Five of seven Richland City Council positions are up for grabs this year, but only one will be impacted in the August primary election.
Kurt Maier, Marc Newman and Kent Madsen, are competing for Position 6, the seat currently held by Terry Christensen, a longtime councilman and the city’s current honorary mayor. Christensen did not file to run for election.
The top two finishers in the Aug. 1 primary will face off in the Nov. 7 general election. The Benton County Auditor mailed primary ballots on July 12. They must be returned or postmarked by Aug. 1 to count. In Washington, voters may register to vote up to the close of business on election day.
The other four races drew only two candidates each, sparing them the need for a primary. They will still appear on the primary ballot, but the votes in August will not impact the November ballot.
Richland has an unusual council election system that ensures that at least four of seven seats are open every other year: The person who wins their race in November with the lowest number of votes will receive a two-year term while the others serve for four years.
Richland council members are elected at large. Individual seats do not represent specific neighborhoods.
The Position 6 race features two candidates from south Richland residents and one from north Richland.
Although city council races are nonpartisan, local political parties frequently weigh in. The Benton County Republican Party issued endorsements in all the Richland council races. Benton County Democrats are considering making endorsements but have not yet done so.
The seven member council chooses a mayor from its ranks — currently Terry Christensen — and serves as the city’s highest authority. It adopts a budget and hires the city manager — currently Jon Amundson — to manage day-to-day operations.
Richland has 580 employees and a $304 million annual budget to provide municipal activities including law enforcement, emergency services, parks, planning, public works, utilities, the library, capital projects, street maintenance and economic development.
Property taxes, sales taxes and fees for services account for most of its revenue.
The nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Benton and Franklin Counties will share its candidate forum events online through the election. Go to bit.ly/43oYcEr
The monthly compensation for Richland City Council members is $1,253 in 2024. Council members are eligible for the Washington Public Employees Retirement System, the city’s health benefits plan and to have their vehicle expenses reimbursed.
Kurt Maier
Maier is a computer engineer at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. He served on the Richland Public Library Board of Trustees. His wife, Francesca, serves on the Richland Planning Commission.
He previously applied for appointment to the position vacated in 2022 when Phil Lemley resigned from an unexpired term but another candidate was chosen. Maier and his wife, Francesca, have two school-aged children and live in north Richland near Hanford High School. He served in the Army Reserve for eight years.
Maier said serving on the library board during the pandemic opened his eyes to the power of citizen involvement. the city-owned library embraced curbside service and, later, split hours to accommodate early and late patrons. Those ideas came from citizens.
“Government works best when folks get involved,” he said.
He wants the city council to show more leadership on subjects such as simplifying government. He cites complicated parking requirements as an example of burdensome regulations that hurt small businesses. He notes the city codes distinguish between traditional restaurants and pizza shops, on the theory pizza gets delivered.
“That made sense in 1985, but today, everything gets delivered,” he said. The council should take the lead rather than waiting for citizens to bring outdated policies to its attention, he suggested.
Maier said his priorities include living within a budget and bringing a problem-solving mentality to the city. Richland, he said, needs housing that is affordable to families and a city code that encourages business instead of tying them up in red tape. He said Richland should avoid becoming a “rest stop” for out-of-town commuters.
“I believe that Richland deserves a city council focused on governing Richland; not on political party games, not on getting elected to higher offices, into or using the office as a platform to tell people what to think or how to run their business,” he said in the voters pamphlet.
Maier has raised $1,000 for his campaign, according to filings with the Public Disclosure Commission. He and his wife report drawing income from his job at PNNL as well as from Fair Cape Consulting and from Veterans Administration disability compensation.
Marc Newman
Newman is account executive for Vehrs Distributing, a Spokane wine and spirits distributor that serves Oregon and Washington, and owns Wine Social on The Parkway with his wife, Kaitilin.
The couple moved to the Tri-Cities from New York. They live in south Richland, near White Bluffs Elementary.
Newman is a U.S. Army vet who enlisted after graduating from high school.
He is a Leadership Tri-Cities graduate who cites economic growth, community involvement and transparency in government as his top priorities.
He was endorsed by the local Republican party, according to a Facebook post.
Newman has raised $1,000 for his campaign, according to campaign finance statements required by the Public Disclosure Commission. He and his wife report income from Vehrs, Wine Social and from her job at Piton Wealth.
Kent Madsen
Madsen describes himself as a successful professional whose career included working with companies such as General Electric.
Madsen and his wife, Kathleen, have four children and 14 grandchildren and live in south Richland, near Meadow Springs.
He describes himself as a conservative who wants to bring Republican values to the city council, which is officially nonpartisan.
He brings 14 years of experience on the Richland Planning Commission. He doesn’t have a “lightning rod” issue and feels the city is already blessed with good leaders and managers. In running for office, he wants to play a role in steering it in the right direction.
His top council priorities include fiscal prudence, accountability and public safety for families and children.
“I’m hoping for a conservative voice on the council,” he said. His goals include promoting economic opportunity and streamlining government when possible. He cited the process of submitting a land use application as an example of an overly complex process.
Much of that is dictated by state policy, but he said that local restrictions could be less onerous and lead to speedier development.
Madsen has not raised any money for his campaign, according to Public Disclosure Records. He reported drawing income from a retirement fund.
Other Richland races
Four Richland city council races feature two candidates, so they will appear on the ballot but will not be impacted by the primary. The ballot will feature:
Position 1: Jhoanna Jones (incumbent) and Allison Ball
Position 2: Theresa Richardson (incumbent) and Elizabeth “Liz” Vann-Clark,
Position 5: Shayne VanDyke (appointed incumbent) and Gregery Levy
Unexpired Position 7: Ryan Whitten (appointed incumbent) and Joshua Short
