Top Stories of 2017: Pfaff elected in Garfield

The general election for 2017, a vote for local offices, generated a lot of interest and finished up with voters turning out incumbent mayors at Garfield and Rosalia.

After a controversial four years, Garfield Mayor Ray McCown was defeated by his predecessor, Jarrod Pfaff, who won by a margin of 129 – 84.

McCown, 84, who will finish his sixth term as Garfield mayor, told the Gazette it marked the end of his political career.

McCown’s last term included a 2016 recall effort which was tossed by the court.

Pfaff’s election grants him a third term as Garfield mayor after previously serving from 2006 to 2013.

McCown also served as mayor of Garfield from 1972-1987, followed by another term in the early 2000s.

At Rosalia, newcomer Lee Root ousted incumbent Nan Konishi with 59 percent of the vote. Root was among three challengers who campaigned for Rosalia seats.

Long-time incumbent Bob Hill survived with a slim four-vote margin, and Eric Eilertson easily defeated his challenger.

The 2017 vote will also go down as the election Pullman won but didn’t win approval on $12.9 million in bonding projects, including a proposal to purchase a new city hall location. The vote became snagged on turnout validation requirements based on the 2016 presidential election.

Pullman officials believed the vote actually was valid, but opted to put the proposals back on the ballot in February where they are predicted to pass with a clear margin and advance to the bond market.