Kinzer to vie for county commission

Dean Kinzer, a 28-year farmer from the Ewartsville area, announced Friday his plans to run for the district two county commissioner seat currently held by Pat O’Neill in next fall’s election.

Kinzer, 57, said he decided to run after last month’s decision by county commissioners to up the county’s obligation to the Hawkins project from $9.1 million to $15 million.

“My understanding of county money is that it’s to be used to benefit all the people, not to be spent on risky investments,” said Kinzer. “If there’s risk being taken, it should be taken by private investors.”

Kinzer feels the decision jeopardizes services provided by the county and criticized commissioners for not fully “vetting” the deal before signing on.

“If a project can’t stand on its own, it should not be up to the taxpayers to make it happen,” he said.

“I guess the final and ultimate test I have for things like that is: I have my own $5 million sitting here to invest,” he said. “Would I invest in this development? No.”

Kinzer will run as a Republican.

O’Neill, a Democrat, said Monday he has not yet decided whether he will seek re-election.

Kinzer said several decisions made by commissioners in recent years have troubled him. Along with the Hawkins deal, Kinzer criticized the Palouse Wind wind farm currently being built on Naff Ridge north of Oakesdale.

“We’re all going to be paying for that in a macro-economic perspective,” said Kinzer.

Higher costs to produce wind power mean higher rates for consumers, Kinzer said.

Kinzer’s focus, if elected, would be on making Whitman County’s tax policies more friendly for businesses.

“We’re a border county,” he said. “So it’s always our challenge to keep business on this side of the state line.”

Now serving his 10th year representing area five on the Pullman School District’s board of directors, Kinzer said he has enough familiarity with the legislature to lobby for the county’s businesses.

He also serves on the 11-member governing board for the Washington State School Directors Association.

“I got on the school board because I said the district wasn’t spending our money wisely,” he said. “And they took me up on it. I guess this is the same sort of thing.”

Kinzer said he plans to begin attending county commission meetings to immerse himself in all the job of being a county commissioner entails.

“Like any new job, I know it’s going to be a steep learning curve,” he said. “But the school board was, too. And I’ve done that for awhile.”

A native of Genesee, Kinzer farms land about nine miles south of Pullman under a lease he has held since 1974. He and wife Barb have two daughters. He holds a bachelor of science in agricultural education from the University of Idaho.