Beaver tapped to lead Benton County Commission

Benton County Commissioner Jim Beaver went from new kid on the block to leader of the pack Monday when he was voted board chairman.

Beaver, who was elected to the board in November 2008, will take over chairman duties from Commissioner Max Benitz Jr. in January and lead the board through next year.

Benitz nominated Beaver for the position at the beginning of the board's Monday morning meeting in Prosser. The nomination was approved 2-1.

Commissioner Leo Bowman, board chairman pro-tem, questioned Benitz's choice and wondered aloud why he wasn't nominated. Bowman, who will remain chairman pro-tem, voted against the nomination.

The chairman position typically rotates among the three commissioners, with the pro-tem in line to become the next chairman.

Bowman said during the meeting that he was confused by Benitz's nomination and questioned why he was being bypassed. Bowman has served as chairman four times in his 13 years on the board.

Benitz said he nominated Beaver because of the former Kennewick mayor's experience crafting biennial budgets. Benton County plans to draft a biennial budget beginning next year.

"I feel with the current budget situation that we have facing Benton County and moving forward toward a two-year budget cycle, I think it's important we utilize the expertise of Commissioner Beaver," Benitz told the Herald after the meeting.

After the meeting, Bowman said he had nothing more to say about the decision.

The board chairman is responsible for leading commission meetings, speaking for the board, working with the county administrator and providing direction to other commissioners. There is no pay raise.

Asked about his expertise in preparing biennial budgets, Beaver quipped, "Well, six consecutive terms as mayor of Kennewick is pretty good."

Beaver plans to begin working on the county's first biennial budget next month by identifying objectives, listing goals and creating a process to achieve them. Beaver said he will sit down with other elected officials and ask them to prepare a list of priorities.

"I want to have meetings with elected officials about four times a year," Beaver said, adding, "I want to see where they want to be in five to 10 years."

"I want to heighten the level of communication," he said.

Beaver said a biennial budget will force elected officials and department heads to focus on long-term planning. "It stretches the planning horizon."

Beaver said creating a culture of long-term planning will be the biggest challenge facing the county as it develops the new budget. He said elected officials and department heads often begin to grasp and embrace the concept of a two-year budget after completing two of them.

Benitz said he didn't consult with Beaver before making the nomination Monday, but Beaver said he had expressed interest in the position to County Administrator David Sparks.

Beaver said Monday that he's excited to begin the position next week, but Benitz warned being chairman isn't as glamorous as it sounds.

"You get to sign a lot more papers and talk to the press," Benitz said.
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