MOSES LAKE — Having served as a Port of Moses Lake commissioner, Brian McGowan, R-Moses Lake, believes he can bring his previous experience in economic development to the Board of County Commissioners if he is elected to the position.

McGowan is currently pitted against Nathan Pack, Tom Taylor and James “Jim” Liebrecht in the race to fill the District No. 2 seat, after Carolann Swartz announced she would not be running for re-election. Casey Cooper previously filed to run, but said he will not be campaigning and is not able to remove his name from the ballot.

McGowan grew up in a military family, lived in the Seattle area and moved to Moses Lake in 1993. He graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1996, the same year he decided to join the Grant County Fire District No. 5 volunteer program, which he has been involved with for going on 20 years now.

He was employed by Aviation Technical Services (ATS) in Moses Lake for about three years as a mechanic and held the position of Port of Moses Lake commissioner from November 2009 through December 2011, a gig he says left him wanting to do more in the community and the county at large.

“I like to help people, I have been a volunteer with the fire district since 1996 and the two years I was on the port commission I really enjoyed working for the public,” he said.

While he was on the commission McGowan was tasked with general oversight of the large scale operation, all the while promoting economic development and maintaining tenants at port-owned facilities. He was on the commission when SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers decided to build a large facility in Moses Lake, which brought numerous jobs to the area.

“Ironically enough, a sister (subsidiary) within our company (ATS), Greenpoint Technologies, came to one of our port meetings back in 2009 or 2010 and wanted the hangar that we are in,” McGowan stated “They are renting it now, so it’s now Greenpoint/Aviation Technical Services out there.”

Having already knocked on about 4,000 doors around the county campaigning, McGowan said one of the main things residents are concerned with, and something he wants to see improvements if elected, is the area of property taxes. He wants to sit down with the assessor and see how values are put onto homes and determine if there are any steps that are being missed and if they are, work to address them. In an economy that is treading water, McGowan says he doesn’t see how property taxes can go up $400 in a single year.

“Especially if you don’t do anything to your house,” he remarked.

When it comes to transparency in county government, McGowan said Grant County already does a good job at being open to the public. But, he says, there is always room for improvement and he wants to set up town hall meetings for residents to attend and discuss the issues that matter most to them. And what is one of the biggest issues that matters most to locals? Jobs and economic development.

“I feel with my port background I would be a great asset when it comes to economic development. Working with companies like ASPI to bring companies in, to assist with the building of new facilities and to facilitate bringing those businesses in,” he explained. “Not just here in Moses Lake, but all over Grant County. It doesn’t have to be just Moses Lake. This is a county-wide position, so I am looking out at everybody within Grant County.”

For more information on McGowan and his campaign visit www.facebook.com/BrianforBOCC or www.mcgowanforgrantcounty.org.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.