Three seek county commissioner position 1: John Marshall

Age: 61

Resides in Ritzville

Education: Graduated high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Studied aircraft maintenance with the United States Army from 1969-71. Attended trade schools, and studied auto body repair in Omaha, Nebraska.

Current profession: Owner of Landcraft Repair Research & Development

Spouse: Janis

Children: Jeffery, Amanda and Jessica.

Marshall moved to Adams County nearly 27 years ago, and chose to settle in Ritzville because of its central location in Eastern Washington. Marshall currently owns and operates an auto body repair shop, Landcraft Repair, in Ritzville while remaining active in the community.

“I am running for Adams County commissioner, because I want to see our county prosper. I’m running to see east Adams County have a voice again. I’m running to help bring forth meaningful change. I’m running to help ensure economic opportunities come to east Adams County. I’m running to see that irrigation and potable water is available in all of Adams County. I’m running to help make Adams County government more efficient and attract business and jobs and revenue without raising taxes or lowering service. And I am dedicated to public safety and fair representation in Adams County,” Marshall stated.

If elected to the county commissioner position, Marshall’s list of priorities includes public safety, fiscal responsibility and economic development.

“I think that to ensure public safety, without cutting services, I think that the employees need to know that they are wanted and needed and appreciated, and I think the citizens need to know the same thing,” he said. “Their opportunities and what they attribute to our local society are important to all of us and appreciation of people and their wants and needs is essential. I think that by being involved in things like the public health district and mosquito district and the festivals association, things like Junior Miss, and volunteering for the parade and those kind of things show that I care about public safety and the opportunities available to young and old people alike.”

Marshall has served two terms with the Ritzville City Council when he was elected from 2000-2004. He has been appointed to and served on the Ritzville Public Development Authority committee and the Adams County Mosquito District board, both for about eight years, while serving four years on the board of directors for the Adams County Health District.

“I helped organize the Ritzville Food Bank and served on their board of directors their first years. I am a Ritzville Festivals Association board member and volunteer. I’d like to say I’m a community volunteer,” he said. “When the Chamber of Commerce wanted to rewrite their bylaws, they asked me to be on their special committee even though I’m not a Chamber member. I’m a member of the American Legion and an Honorary Eagles member, and a member of National Federation of Independent Business.”

Four years ago, Marshall ran for Adams County Commissioner District No. 1 against incumbent Rudy Plager, but lost. The concerns and priorities that Marshall had during the 2008 election are still lingering concerns during the current election.

During his time as a city council member, he represented the city as a representative for the Adams County Health District. Once Marshall became involved with the health district, he realized his passion and the importance of the district to the Adams County residents.

“The department, when the county chose to start a department rather than support the district, rather than try to split those things, the cities’ representatives, which again were the cities’ mayors or their alternates, elected to help the county health department rather than divide it with a district and a department. The reason I stayed involved is because public health is, and can be, a huge issue,” he said. “The employees at the Ritzville Health District were nice people, hard working, and involved in what they were doing and I enjoyed staying involved. I am unhappy that the county has lowered services in Ritzville from what used to be five days a week down to one day a week now. Even though this is the Adams County seat, we’re forced to go to Othello for services.

“Another primary concern is law enforcement,” he added. “Small cities like Washtucna and Lind don’t have a resident deputy in their community anymore, and that’s a response time problem. That’s all because of budget and cutbacks. And that makes it difficult for the sheriff’s department to fill those positions.”

He hopes that as a county commissioner, he can help increase economic development to assist the citizens of the county with educational options and expand local businesses. He also wants to bring a focus towards local products and tourism in Adams County, but more specifically, the eastern portion of the county.

“What everybody disagrees about it would seem, is what they should agree about, is that Othello has its own marketable, economic attributes. So does east Adams County, more specifically Ritzville, but I don’t forget about Lind or Washtucna either. We’ve got an interstate system for transportation in east Adams County that Othello does not,” he said. “Every council, committee meeting, every statewide thing you go to says tourism is the easiest, cheapest thing to promote, and the fastest results. Because it doesn’t necessarily involve new infrastructure and that type of thing, but to make yourself publicized of what’s here, maybe in historic downtown, it may be the farm and wheat culture of Eastern Washington, which is largely different than it is in Othello.

“In that development, we would like to have opportunities for value added products, value added meaning if you are already farming wheat, what can you do with it locally rather than ship it around the world. Like a tortilla factory or like a bakery, those kind of things,” he added. “And for economic development we (the PDA) continue to pursue an extended learning center in downtown Ritzville.”

Marshall’s reason for his passion surrounding an extended learning center is based around his son’s experience as a Running Start student in the Ritzville school system.

His son graduated from high school and with a two-year college degree in the same week, which meant that he missed out on high school activities and that lifestyle. Marshall believes that a learning center would benefit high school students and community members interested in expanding their education.

“There’s the people who enjoy or have hobbies, or items, they just want to learn more about: education for enjoyment. And all of those opportunities could be right there in a downtown building and economically, that brings people downtown,” he said.

Marshall admits that becoming a county commissioner would be a learning experience, mainly because if he were elected, a budget would have already been set. But he believes that his background and

“If I were elected, I think one of the things I can offer is my background in both public and private business,” he said. “I’ve been a nearly 30-year business owner and manager and taxpayer, and nearly 15 years in public service, including two terms on City Council.

“I think that it provides me with a unique perspective and that it’s not tax and spend; it’s live within your means.

“I have in the past and would work hard to ensure that east Adams County, and all Adams County, has strong representation for their values,” he added. “And it sounds presumptuous to think that I know everybody’s values are, but I think everybody expects safety and opportunity in their county and from their commissioners, and I would work hard for them.”