SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The race for Spokane County District 5 commissioner is in its final days.
Republican incumbent, Al French, is defending his seat against Democratic candidate Molly Marshall.
This race is for the only contested seat out of the three that Spokanites will vote for this year. There are five Spokane County Commissioner positions total.
County commissioners enact ordinances, approve budgets and oversee spending and hiring for the entire county.
District 5 covers most of the western part of the county, including Cheney, Airway Heights and Medical Lake.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been poured into the race for both candidates. According to the Public Disclosure Committee, nearly $118,358 dollars dollars have been raised in opposition to Al French’s campaign and no funds have been raised against Marshall’s.
The winner of the race will decide the party majority for the Board of Commissioners in Spokane County.
Marshall and French have different priorities for if they were to be elected.
For Marshall, the number one issue is the district’s ongoing struggle with PFAs contamination.
“The first step is really getting a group together, a task force full of community members and experts, to start working this issue and helping these people that have just not been given help for close to seven years,” she said.
Many in the area have said they feel out of the loop on what is being done to address the PFAs contamination.
French said he has a plan to take care of the issue.
“So, we’re working very aggressively to try to get resources for those to get filtration water in their systems while we bring a permanent solution of new water to West Plains,” he said.
French, however, said his number one priority if reelected is addressing crime.
“Keeping our citizens safe. The crime rate in the city, but that creeps into the county, is being challenged with some of the policies of the city and we really need government’s role to keep our citizens safe,” he said.
Both candidates agree the lack of infrastructure supporting the area’s development is a pressing issue. For Marshall, it is this issue that inspired her to run.
“You need to put infrastructure in place prior to development or while it’s being developed, and get that financial commitment within six years of this development. That hasn’t happened,” said Marshall.
French said he is in the process of working with the city to improve the 5th District’s infrastructure.
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