GRANT COUNTY - In a letter sent Thursday, the Grant County Commissioners, Sheriff and Prosecutor implored Gov. Jay Inslee to reconsider his moratorium on the construction of single-family homes and to begin reopening small businesses within the state.

In the letter, the authors asked for an immediate answer to disparities between what was allowed in public vs. private construction. Commissioner Tom Taylor asked this question of the Governor’s Central Washington Regional Representative Salvador Salazar, who was unable to provide an answer, according to the letter.

“Why is Key Arena, in Seattle, considered essential, but construction of single family homes in Grant County is non-essential?” the letter asked. “Small businesses in Grant County are ready to reopen and are prepared to take the necessary precautions to help stop the spread of the virus...We urge you to amend the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Proclamation.”

In an interview, Sheriff Tom Jones said that while he believed the governor initially acted for the right reasons, Inslee was failing to send clear messages about next steps and the metrics being used to make decisions.

“In the last three days we haven’t seen anything specific regarding the steps to reopen businesses,” Jones said. “I just hope he’s hearing his constituents.”

“I know he did (the order) for the right reasons, but when we’re seeing the leveling off and other things I think its time to start reintroducing the workforce back into the county,” Jones added.