Volz, Murano vie for 6th District House seat

The race for the 6th District state House of Representatives Position 1 pits incumbent Mike Volz against political newcomer Kay Murano.

Volz, a Republican, is seeking a second term, defeating Lynnette Vehrs in 2016, 55.34 – 44.66. He is a veteran, has over 30 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, degrees from EWU and Gonzaga, and is a CPA.

Murano is executive director of the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium. She has a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Trinity Western University.

As in the past, the Cheney Free Press staff prepared three questions for all candidates to answer. Those questions are on issues specific to the West Plains to test candidates knowledge of local issues, and are presented below.

1. What are the three most important issues residents on the West Plains face?

Murano

a) Affordability – Too many in our community are struggling to keep up with increasing costs of housing, In my work as Executive Director for the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium, I bring agencies and community groups together to create more affordable housing solutions and help young families entering the housing market, seniors on a fixed income, and veterans returning home.  I want to put that experience to work in Olympia to prioritize  concrete and workable solutions to address affordability here at home.   

b) Access to education – With a daughter in Spokane Public Schools, I know firsthand that local districts need more support from the Legislature — and that is especially true in the West Plains which has grown considerably. Kids are bused on long bus rides to junior and high schools in other parts of the region. We have to do better to plan for the needs of our communities in the long term including building the infrastructure and ensure the opportunities exist to set all kids up for success — from early education through vocational and technical schools and beyond.

c) Environmental safety – The West Plains Aquifer was contaminated last year and has not yet been restored to clean use. The “temporary” solution of piping in water from Spokane is expensive , so they’re controlling when people can water the  lawns etc. Again, we need to do a better job planning for the future and proactively avoiding costly risks to our health and safety and our tax dollars.

Volz

Water, affordability and infrastructure. In a word: growth. In the last session, we were able to come up with a bipartisan bill in answer to a state Supreme Court ruling which would have greatly restricted access to water (aka Hirst decision). The Growth Management Act has proven to be a barrier to the availability and affordability of housing. The act requires more housing in a smaller area and encourages apartments and other multi-unit housing options.  

2. How do you solve the water issues faced by West Plains residents?

Volz

The aquifer under the West Plains does not replenish as quickly as the Spokane Aquifer. The rock structure of the area adds the additional challenges of drainage and wetland mitigation. Re-drilling the well in Cheney and their plan to use non-drinkable water for irrigation purposes will help with their water supply issue. The water contamination in Airway Heights caused by using fire suppression chemicals is being addressed. Regardless of the final plan, the rate payers should not have to pay more for their water.  

Murano

As I said in the priorities, the West Plains aquifer needs to be protected from contamination like what happened last year. Growth must be managed so that the water levels can be sustained. That also requires cooperation from businesses and agriculture that depend on that aquifer. 

3. What is the best method of managing growth on the West Plains?

Murano

The best method to manage growth is to have a plan. You want the growth to incorporate business, housing, and environmental concerns, keeping them balanced. Building housing without business leaves people underemployed and unable to pay for that housing.  Building commercial without housing means your businesses won’t have a work force to sustain them. Ignoring the environmental impact of both housing or commercial buildings means you are back to paying to pipe in water.

Volz

Planning for growth requires a regional partnership involving local, state and federal governments, business and citizens. The area is changing rapidly and we need to work together to ensure we at least keep with and hopefully stay ahead of the growth. The inclusion of all this in the planning process is paramount to developing an integrated and comprehensive plan.  

For more information on Mike Volz, go to http://www.MikeVolz.com.

For more information on Kay Murano, go to http://www.votekaymurano.com.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.