CANDIDATE PROFILE-Commissioner District No. 2: Challenger Oscar Garza

Challenger for the Adams County Commissioner District No. 2 is candidate Oscar Garza. For the past 24 years, Garza has been a resident of Othello with his wife, Gracie, and their three children.

As a businessman, Garza is committed to assisting with economic development in the county. His decision to run for commissioner is based around the need for change and term limits.

“I feel they (term limits) are necessary, for the reason that if you have somebody for a long time, they get into their comfort zone, and kind of get lazy. It is necessary to change every four years or so,” Garza said.

As a former probation officer in the juvenile court, Garza’s main priority for the county is for the residents to remain safe with increased law enforcement presence. Currently, Garza is uncomfortable with only one deputy patrolling between Othello and Ritzville on Sunday afternoon. He is also concerned with the advancement of technology and keeping the county modernized.

“Number one priority is to make it a safe place for county residents. For not just Othello or the Ritzville area, but other small and rural communities,” Garza said. “My vision is safety first, but keep up with technology that is moving so fast, faster than ever in my opinion, and keep us in the 21st century.

“The first step would be, I think, to have our county employees up to par on their wages, and to keep them updated with technology like the iPhone and iPad. And communication through the towers, which need to be replaced and updated,” he added.

The communication tower and radio issues concern Garza primarily because that is how emergency responders receive information and communicate. Garza is concerned about the safety of the county if law enforcement officers are unable to communicate.

“It needs to be changed and updated, and should be a number one priority,” Garza said. “I have worked personally with the sheriff’s department, it’s a big safety issue and that is a priority, they need to get on that immediately.”

If elected as county commissioner, Garza would work towards unifying the communities of Othello and Ritzville. Garza wants his priorities to affect the county as a whole, not only a specific city or area within the county.

“Number one (priority) is safety, number two is technology, number three is … communication within Othello and Ritzville as one, we are one county. Because it is a necessary thing, if we don’t address these issues we are stagnant and that is where there can be issues,” Garza said.

“I am invested in this county, and for my family and friends. If we get too far behind on these things, it’s going to be really expensive and might be too late to restore it,” Garza added about his priorities. “It’s for our futures, for our children, for our grandchildren and everyone in Adams County.”

Garza explains that agriculture is a livelihood, but it is also one of the most important aspects of Adams County. Garza sees the importance of agriculture as it stems beyond the food it produces, but also to the support it provides for the county.

“As we know, the whole country has gone through a recession. The Columbia Basin, because of our farming industry, has done well and continues doing well because of our farmers. It’s not just because of our plants and produce, but because it brings in people from all over the country, it’s what keeps our county moving forward,” he explained.

As a businessman, economic development and growth is important to Garza. He believes that as a commissioner, involvement in committees and communicating with all business owners is extremely important to bring about change and development.

Garza said that addressing things before they become a problem is a key to maintaining and reducing the amount of issues within the county. Garza said that by being involved in the county and communicating effectively with residents, problems will be brought to the commissioners attention sooner rather than later.

For Garza, communication is the key to success and he believes the number one weakness of the county is a barrier between residents.

“I think our biggest weakness is understanding each other’s culture and the generational gap,” Garza said. “I feel I can narrow the gap between cultures and generations.”

Currently, Garza does not believe that services are underfunded in the county and if elected as commissioner, he would work to ensure departments and employees were treated fairly.

“I would make sure that we are fair in our funding. Fair is equal opportunity for all employees, unfair would be someone treated unfairly because of sex or race,” Garza said. “They should be compensated well for the job they are doing, with benefits and money.”

Another important aspect of being a commissioner for Garza is always having a plan within each department in the county.

“There should always be a plan. There should be a plan for our facilities,” Garza said, “because if you don’t have a plan, you can’t move forward.”