The Mayoral Candidate Who Wanted to Open the City’s Books
Running on a platform of transparency, Frank S. Dement challenged the city's plan to purchase the Thomas ranch for $25,000, calling for a 'business administration' that prioritized public oversight.
Frank S. Dement, candidate for mayor of Walla Walla in the upcoming city election, announced his platform on municipal affairs this morning. Dement argued against the city paying $25,000 for one hundred acres of the Thomas ranch, asserting that the city already possessed deed rights to water access on the property. 'I do not believe a public trust should be a private snap,' Dement said. He criticized the lack of financial transparency in city government, specifically noting that the water office should be run with the same public oversight as other departments. Furthermore, Dement declared that corporations and banks should be held to the same assessment standards as private citizens, calling the council's previous relief on bank stock an injustice to taxpayers.
“I do not believe a public trust should be a private snap.”
Debates over municipal land acquisition and tax fairness remain central to Walla Walla politics today. Dement’s call for 'more publicity' in financial affairs echoes modern-day concerns regarding local government transparency and the influence of corporations on civic policy.
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