Benton County Commissioners Caught in Courthouse Bond Scandal
Chairman J. B. Clements and Commissioner Alex. McNeill face an injunction after allegedly pushing through a $125,000 bond issue for a new courthouse without public consent.
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Peeved, it is claimed, because the east side of Benton County did not roll up a big majority for him in the November election, J. B. Clements, chairman of the board of county commissioners, authorized the issuance of $125,000 worth of county bonds for a new courthouse in Prosser. Working with commissioner Alex. McNeill, Clements attempted to stack the proceedings by having the bonds signed in advance. Taxpayers got wind of the scheme and stopped it with a temporary injunction. F. L. Bash, the third board member, opposed the move but was treated as 'excess baggage.' Critics allege the bond interest rate of 5.5% is inflated, potentially costing the county $20,000 to $40,000 over 20 years, prompting questions about who stands to profit from the deal.
“Who will get this side money is a question that is being asked in a good many quarters today.”
Local government transparency remains a flashpoint in Benton County today, where public trust often hinges on the oversight of major infrastructure spending. The 1916 struggle mirrors modern concerns over how bond measures are structured and whose interests they truly serve.
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