Q&A: Soap Lake mayoral candidates
GABRIEL DAVIS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 3 months AGO
Incumbent Michelle Agliano, left, is running against Allen DuPuy, right, for the position of Soap Lake Mayor
Gabriel Davis is a resident of Othello who enjoys the connections with his sources. Davis is a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University where he studied English and creative writing. During his free time, he enjoys reading, TV, movies and games – anything with a good story, though he has a preference for science fiction and crime. He covers the communities on the south end of Grant County and in Adams County. | October 9, 2023 1:30 AM
SOAP LAKE — Incumbent Mayor Michelle Agliano is running against Allen DuPuy for the position of Mayor of Soap Lake.
The Columbia Basin Herald asked each candidate the questions below with matching word count restrictions and a deadline to submit responses. The newspaper encourages voters to contact the candidates if they want to discuss issues in more depth.
Responses are in alphabetical order according to the candidates’ last names.
Election Day is Nov. 7; ballots will be mailed to voters Oct. 18. Early voting opens Oct. 20.
What prompted you to run for Mayor?
Agliano: I was appointed to the position of Mayor in June of 2022. I am running for election because of the love I have for this city. There are things I haven’t seen to completion – building up the Soap Lake Community Prevention Coalition; improving our parks through a local parks maintenance grant; improving athletic competitiveness through a grant by putting lights on the new basketball court, improving the soccer fields and nets and improving the skateboard park. I am running to help the city of Soap Lake to thrive.
DuPuy: The belief that I can make a change for the betterment of the community. My wife and I have lived in Soap Lake for over 18 years and are in our 10th year operating a business in the city. I want to build a team approach to addressing issues the city faces. There are some very talented and energetic people that live and work here and we can draw from their life experiences to create our common goals.
What are the biggest challenges you believe the city faces?
Agliano: The biggest challenges I believe the city faces are fiscal. We were hit with findings by the State Auditor’s Office to improve training of all city employees, especially those in City Hall, as well as separating asset management from other departments back to City Hall and segregation of duties. Most of these items have been addressed or are in the process of being rectified. Fiscally, the city’s revenues must be in line with expenses. Over the last few years, expenses have skyrocketed. Garbage costs have risen. Water and Sewer costs have gone up, but rates have not risen appropriately. We were advised over a year ago by our fiscal consultants and city engineers this city needs to raise the rates and fees to match the rise in expenses and to build up the capital fund to meet any city improvements, without any more loans. The city needs to maintain the current needs of the residents and to grow with plans for expansion and development.
DuPuy: Soap Lake has seen growth in its housing starts, and with that growth, there will be challenges to keep up with infrastructure upgrades. The city has been approached with plans and ideas for future growth and my administration will want to keep ahead of the curve to ensure that we can meet those needs. Some of our streets are in disrepair and I want to continue to work with our partners to stay on top of this issue.
What are the primary goals you hope to achieve if elected?
Agliano: My vision for this city is to be known as a city of honesty, integrity and transparency. This applies to all departments and leadership – City Hall, the Police Department and Public Works, their individual staff members as well as the Mayor and council members. My vision is to see this city recognized as a certified creative arts district. Building our downtown businesses; attracting new businesses; new families and job opportunities. To see our city become a mecca for people locally and beyond our boundaries. Encouraging growth in and the promotion of our city. I have a vision to encourage our city to become known for sharing and caring, creating an attitude and viewpoint of a neighbor taking care of a neighbor. A sense and actuality, not just a dream. There are many people who need help going to the post office, getting groceries, cleaning their homes or even caring for their yards or shoveling snow. Let’s build up our neighborhoods! Help each other take care of our home – the city of Soap Lake.
DuPuy: I live by the credo, ‘If you can’t increase your income, you have to decrease your outgo.’ The city of Soap Lake paid FCS Group Consultants for a citywide financial analysis in September of 2022. In conclusion, the group determined that in the long term, expenditures outpaced revenue growth, which is not sustainable! In our recent state audit dated Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2021, the Washington State Auditor’s first statement is “The city’s deteriorating financial position places it at risk of not meeting its financial obligations.” We must get our finances under control. This is first and foremost the primary goal.
How can the public contact you?
Agliano: I can be contacted via phone at 509-594-0807, via email at michelleformayor2024@gmail.com and via mail at PO Box 683, Soap Lake, WA 98851.
DuPuy: As many of you know, my wife and I operate a business serving the community at 51 S.
Division Street. Citizens can reach me in person or by phone at 509-350-9265. My door is always open.
ARTICLES BY GABRIEL DAVIS
Work-based learning lets students build their own futures
MOSES LAKE — Work-based learning provides education opportunities for the workforce to receive hands-on training and technical education and prepare themselves to enter various industries. Educators and workforce development professionals from Eastern Washington discussed some the training they offer and the benefits of their programs. Next Generation Zone, an affiliate of WorkSource based in Spokane, provides job training opportunities for youth and young adults ages 16 to 24. Program Coordinator Kate Martin said there are multiple benefits to the program. “One of them is a paid work experience, and that’s where we reach out to area employers who are willing to take a young person and train them,” she said. “This is a short-term learning experience, so it’s typically about 240 hours; sometimes it could be longer or shorter. We’re the actual employer; we cover all of their wages, taxes, the L&I, and the employer just agrees to give them the experience and train them in whatever field it is that they’re wanting to go into.”
Serving schools: ESD superintendents reflect on operations, priorities
MOSES LAKE — Educational service districts are government-mandated agencies put in place to provide services to school districts across the state. ESD Superintendents discussed what they do and their priorities in operating their districts. ESD 105, led by Superintendent Kevin Chase, serves four counties, including Kittitas, Yakima and portions of Klickitat and Grant counties and provides support for 25 school districts – including Royal School District and Wahluke School District – and more than 66,000 students. “We help them collaborate with each other as well or collaborate with other partners,” Chase said. “(It’s) a lot of advocacy work, either regionally or across the state, or even federally, working on different issues that impact our education. And we provide very specialized services in certain situations in order to meet the needs of our students in our region and of our school districts.”
Columbia Basin Project making headway through Odessa Groundwater program
CASHMERE — The Columbia Basin Project is making gradual progress toward completion with particularly significant accomplishments for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program in the last six months or so, according to Columbia Basin Development League Executive Director Sara Higgins. “When we’re dealing with a project of this size, advancement is kind of like watching paint dry, but yes, there have been (developments),” she said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening right now.” There are more than 300 miles of main canals, about 2,000 miles of lateral canals and 3,500 miles of drains and wasteways in the irrigation project, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation website. The CBDL advocates for the operation of those waterways and for the project to continue “build-out.”