Whitman County Commissioner Candidates

County Commissioner candidates are Michael Largent, 64, of rural Colfax, and John-Mark Mahnkey, 53, of Pullman.

Largent's elected experience includes Whitman County Commissioner, Precinct Committee Officer, President Washington State Association of Counties, Vice Chair Washington Counties Insurance Fund. Other Professional experience includes Washington State University-economics research, Corporate Accountant, Farm owner/operator, Legislative Assistant in Washington State Senate, Washington Rural Counties Insurance Fund board, Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee board, WSAC Legislative Steering Committee, National Association of Counties board.

Largent graduated from Colfax High School, received his Bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from Washington State University and his CPA certification in 1984. Most of his career he operated his family farm before being elected as County Commissioner in 2006.

Largent has served as the president of the Washington State Association of Counties representing all county commissioners across the state.

John-Mark Mahnkey's elected experience includes being Vice-chair of Whitman County Democrats. Other professional experience includes INB/Idavend Broadcasting Air talent/Music/Production and Programming Zfun 106, Rock 1025, Bull Country; Pullman Radio Hits 1047, NewsTalk 1150, New Country 1043 and Hits 1047; Marquee Productions- Voice Over and Audio Production.

Mahnkey attended Oakesdale, Colfax, and Pullman for his primary schooling, and graduated from Pullman High School in 1987. He then attended National Broadcasting School getting his Associate in Broadcast Media, and Pierce College in Entertainment and Media, and Tacoma Community College in Humanities.

*Disclaimer: Answers to the questions are in the Commissioner Candidates own words, and unedited by the Whitman County Gazette staff.

*1. If elected as County Commissioner what is your top budget priority, and why?*

Michael Largent

"My top budget priority is retaining and recruiting employees. Finding a way provide adequate salary and benefits to our employees is one way to address this issue. This is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge with personnel costs being around 70% of our budget. While at the same time we are experiencing high inflation rates nationally and medical insurance costs continue to rise, our revenue remains relatively stagnant. While this problem is shared across all 39 counties across Washington State and many across the nation, we are not immune. "

John Mark Mahnkey

"As has been stated many times by both myself and my opponent, by far the biggest budget line-item is payroll. In setting the budget, County Commissioners must ensure we maintain a fair living wage for all county workers at all levels, and find ways to address and encourage the retention of the people who make the county "run".

It is also important to remember the public resources which make private life possible. Whitman County has many critical and non-critical services.

Infrastructure crucial to Whitman County includes law enforcement, emergency response, healthcare, environmental protection, and GIS, which all need proper funding."

*2. What is the biggest weakness that Whitman County has, and what can County Commissioners do to fix it?*

Michael Largent

"Our biggest challenge currently is the rate of inflation eating into our budget. One of our biggest inflationary factors are unfunded state and federal mandates. Being engaged at both those levels is the only way to mitigate those costs. At the current trajectory, the duties and obligations that counties are statutorily and constitutionally require to provide will become fiscally unstainable. Transferring the costs of state initiatives to already stretched county budgets is disingenuous at best."

John Mark Mahnkey

"Whitman County has fallen behind in many ways. People are struggling to afford a decent life. We need a county government that supports our working families and businesses - one that gives them opportunities to achieve their goals and dreams.

Poverty is an issue of freedom. Simply put- if you live in poverty and lack the opportunities to escape, you have less access to the world, and thus fewer freedoms than others.

We must ensure everyone living here has the freedom to succeed, and promote our county government as an important local stakeholder in tackling issues of poverty and homelessness."