20,000 signatures filed seeking new Benton County seat

Step One toward ballot measure
By ROSS COURTNEY
Yakima Herald-Republic

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PROSSER, Wash. -- Wheeling three file boxes on a squeaky handcart Monday, Kay Staples on Monday turned in 20,433 signatures in support of switching the Benton County seat from Prosser to Kennewick.

Kay Staples is a former Benton County Superior Court clerk and wife of Fred Staples, a retired Superior Court judge, who has been trying to move the county seat for 25 years. He was in Arizona on Monday visiting family for the winter.

Supporters of the move argue that leaving the county seat in Prosser while most of the employees work in and around Kennewick is financially wasteful and possibly against the law.

"I don't have any problem with Prosser except that it needs to move on," said Kay Staples, a Prosser High School graduate, during a break in the meeting.

Turning in the petitions to county commissioners on Monday marks the first step in placing a ballot measure before voters during the November 2010 general election.

State law requires petitions be backed by one-third of the voter turnout from the previous general election; that's 13,684 this year.

Next, the commissioners must verify the signatures are valid and asked county Auditor Bobbie Gagner to help. That task would take about five weeks, she told them.

However, because the election is planned for next November, state law states the county can't certify the signatures until May 1, said Ryan Brown, a county attorney representing the commissioners.

Meanwhile, the commissioners plan to start an economic study of the impacts of such a move, both on Prosser and Kennewick, as required by state law.

The county has long-term plans to build a new administration office in Kennewick that could cost as much as $15 million. Moving the entire county seat, however, would cost $35 million, said Commissioner Max Benitz Jr., an estimate Fred Staples vehemently disputes.

Commissioner Leo Bowman said after Monday's meeting he was relieved the issue was headed to a vote.

"Let's get it done," he said. "Let's make a decision."

Fred Staples got the measure on the ballot in 1984, but voters turned it down.


* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.

 



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