Partch still undeclared: Swannack joins race for seat on commission

Lamont farmer Art Swannack, 46, announced Sunday his campaign to become a Whitman County commisisoner.

Swannack becomes the third candidate to announce a bid for the District 1 seat on the county commission currently held by Greg Partch. Kirk Suess of Steptoe and Bill Tensfeld of Rosalia have both previously announced their intentions to run for the seat.

Swannack said he wants to bring the county commission a more conservative spending philosophy and make its deliberations a more “open and honest” process.

“The county commission needs to make sure it listens to the people of the county,” he said. “That’s the whole point of the position.”

Swannack said he had been considering a campaign for the seat since last fall. He initially opted not to run, he said, because he felt serving as a commissioner might not leave him enough time for the farming operation and the family.

“I was looking at it and seeing all the problems,” he said. “But then I started looking at the solutions it would create.”

He decided both the farm and commissioner schedules are flexible enough to accomodate one another.

“A commissioner’s schedule can be pretty flexible in what meetings you choose to attend,” he commented.

Swannack said much of the current commissioners’ time is spent “micro-managing” the operations of the county’s various departments.

Apart from setting their budgets, he said, officials overseeing individual departments should be left to make their own decisions.

“They were elected. Let them do their jobs,” he said. “The citizens are entirely capable of getting someone else if they aren’t doing their jobs.”

Swannack formally announced his campaign at the opening of the GOP campaign headquarters on Bishop Boulevard in Pullman Sunday afternoon.

Both Suess and Tensfeld were also at the campaign office opening.

Partch, who was not at the GOP event, has not yet announced whether he will seek a fourth term in office. He ran unopposed for re-election in 2008, but challengers have announced this year in the wake of the Hawkins shopping mall controversy.

Dean Kinzer, a farmer from rural Pullman, announced earlier this year he will run as a Republican for the District 2 commissioner seat currently held by Democrat Pat O’Neill of Johnson.

O’Neill has also yet to announce his intentions on whether or not to seek a second term.

Swannack, like Suess and Tensfeld, opposes the commissioners Jan. 3 decision to build $15 million worth of infrastructure at the Boise-based company’s proposed shopping center.

“I’m not a big fan of county government funding private developments,” he said.

Swannack said commissioners should have taken more time to review the proposal before making their decision. He cited concerns expressed by Prosecutor Denis Tracy and Jack McLaughlin, bond agent with the Spokane firm of DA Davidson, over the proposed contract.

“You have to be careful about what you agree to and what those agreements obligate the county to,” said Swannack.

Swannack in 2009 was among five candidates in a primary race to fill the legislative seat left vacant by the death of Steve Hailey of Mesa. Susan Fagan was elected in that race. She and Hailey’s widow, Pat Hailey, were the top two nominees selected in the August primary of that year.

Rep. Steve Hailey died in late December of 2008 after announcing plans to resign before the start of the 2009 legislative session. Don Cox of Colfax was appointed to represent the 9th legislative district for that term.

Swannack and wife Jill have three children who attend St. John/Endicott schools.

They operate a 2,000-acre wheat, hay and sheep ranch just outside of Lamont.

He received a degree in wildlife biology from Washington State University in 1989.

Swannack is a past president of the Washington State Sheep Producers, and is the west region representative to the American Sheep Industry Association. He is also a long-time member of the Washington Farm Bureau.

He was also a member of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s 16-member panel which drew up a plan for wolf management in the state.

He is a member of the Lamont volunteer fire department and previously served as a commissioner. He’s also a former member of the Lamont school board.