By Brandon Cline
Managing Editor 

Election 2019, Part 2: Ritzville mayoral candidate David Ahrens

Challenger David Ahrens explains how he would address revitalizing downtown, what he'd prioritize in Part 2 of discussion with The Journal

 

Last updated 10/31/2019 at 12:41pm

Journal photo by Brandon Cline

Ritzville mayoral candidate David Ahrens.

The Ritzville mayoral race is the only contested local race on the ballot in eastern Adams County in this year's general election, as incumbent Mayor Gary Cook seeks a second term while challenger David Ahrens is vying to become Ritzville's next mayor.

Ahrens moved to Ritzville in 2011, and is running for public office for the first time in Ritzville. Ahrens is the owner of Ritzville Lumber & Hardware, and previously served as President of the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Journal had the opportunity to talk with the candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 election. In Part 2 of our conversation, we discussed downtown revitalization, the biggest issues currently facing the city and why voters should support them in the upcoming election.

The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Ritzville Journal: What are some of the ways that the City, under your leadership, would help in the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Ritzville?

David Ahrens: You've got a problem there with landowners and you've got a problem with the historical people, and that's the two biggest gripes I hear. You've got a bunch of buildings there that should be either leased, sold, rented or occupied. To me that's what they should be. Instead they're empty, and that draws absolutely nobody. Even if they lease it at a small amount or rent it at a small amount, it'll get full and it'll attract somebody. I think we really need to talk to the owners and get them to agree with this. They may want thousands and thousands of dollars, but they're not going to get it. They've got to be talked to and they've got to work it out. They've got to either lease it, rent it, sell it or occupy it. They've got to do one of those four things. Leaving those empties building hurts the whole town, not just [in downtown] but the whole town.

You're not going to be able to do what's been done on the east side of town [in downtown Ritzville], but you can make this more attractive or maybe there would be a fast food place moved down into downtown. Or if you put a couple of restaurants downtown, that helps the first restaurant a lot. That's what you're going to have to see, but you're just going to have to talk to the landowners down there and see what their problems are. That's what's got to get taken care of.

RJ: What do you think is the single biggest and most pressing problem facing Ritzville?

DA: I don't see any major problems. We've got a really good police department, we've got the county seat here and the jail and a pretty good construction crew for what we can afford, the city construction crew. The school district seems to be running fine. I think the biggest thing is to attract more businesses to fill up the town. That's going to be the biggest thing. You can work at it, but you can't guarantee you're going to do it.

RJ: If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

DA: I like art, but I would never spend money on art. There's just too much wasted money on art. Tacoma is a really good example, a really good example. A million dollars, I'd just prioritize what needs to be fixed in the town. I'm sure there's a bunch of problems I don't know about that the city knows about. They would like to have a list of what needs to be fixed. We went to city hall when I was with the Lions Club, and even afterward I could go to [Public Works Director Larry Swift] and he'd give me a list of stuff that needs to be fixed. I worked on it, and now I try and work on some of them between working at the store and that.

RJ: Simply put, why should the voters of Ritzville elect you as the city's next mayor?

DA: I like the leadership role and I like solving problems. It seems that the more challenges I get, the better I like it. People told me I couldn't build a dock across the water at my house in Longbranch, so I built a 100-footer. They told me I couldn't do it, so I did it. Everytime I run across somebody that says 'you can't do this,' I always did my best to try and do that. I think that kind of thing could help the city out.

Author Bio

Brandon Cline, Former editor

Brandon is a former editor of The Ritzville Adams County Journal.

 

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