Benton County Courthouse Scheme Declared Invalid
The State Supreme Court strikes down a $125,000 bond issue, citing 'reeking' bad faith by county commissioners.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The state supreme court handed down a decision Tuesday in the Benton county court house bond case, reversing Judge Grady of the superior court. The court declared the proposed $125,000 bond issue invalid due to secrecy and methods employed by Commissioners J. B. Clements and Alex McNeil. In a lengthy opinion, the court stated, 'the record is reeking with bad faith.' The commissioners had attempted to build a courthouse without prior determination of plans, cost estimates, or procurement of a site. The decision leaves the county seat controversy unresolved, having cost taxpayers $9,000 for a block of land in Prosser, plus significant legal fees.
“The record is reeking with bad faith.”
Public outcry over backroom land deals and municipal spending remain a constant feature of Benton County civic life. This 1917 case highlights the enduring tension between the state's oversight and local efforts to build civic infrastructure without transparent public buy-in.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.