In addition to the state and national measures, Walla Walla residents are voting on five local measures today. In a presidential election, especially one as contentious as this year, it can be easy for smaller local issues to get buried. In addition, many non-local students vote in their home states or counties, meaning they may not be aware of local issues in Walla Walla. Here is what is on the ballot:

This year Walla Walla county residents are voting on two County Commissioners and three propositions. Two out of the three voting districts in Walla Walla county are voting for County Commissioners, there is one proposition on the ballot for the City of College Place, there is one proposition on the ballot for Walla Walla County Fire Protection District No. 8, and there is one proposition on the ballot in Prescot Joint Park and Recreation District.

In voting district one, which encompasses Whitman’s campus, downtown Walla Walla, and much of the southern half of the City of Walla Walla, current County Commissioner Jenny Mayberry is running against Bertha Clayton. Mayberry is a Republican who has served as County Commissioner for District 1 since 2020 and emphasizes her elected experience and commitment to public health and safety and law enforcement. According to the Union-Bulletin, Mayberry was investigated twice for maltreatment of employees, but both times it was found that she had not broken any county policies. Clayton is a lawyer who is running without a party preference as part of her platform of unity across party boundaries.

The other voting district with a County Commissioner on the ballot is district two which encompasses the northwestern part of the City of Walla Walla and close to half the county by land. In district two, Todd L. Kimball, the current Commissioner for the district, is running unopposed.

In the City of College Place there is a proposition on the ballot to acquire the land for and finance the construction and equipment of a new police facility. The College Place Police Department is in a 70-year-old building with 4,000 square-feet that does not meet ADA requirements, and the local voter guide says that if the measure passes the department will create a 19,000 square foot building.

Fire Protection District No. 8, which encompasses a rural area north of the City of Walla Walla and has around 700 residents, is voting on a proposition which would raise property taxes slightly to cover fire department expenses.

Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District, which belongs to the City of Prescott in the north of Walla Walla County, is voting on a proposition to levy taxes to cover operating expenses by the parks department.

So far no results for local ballot measures have been announced by the county.