RE-Elect MICHAEL ALVAREZ                                              Benton County Commissioner Dist. 2                                Current Chairman of the Benton County Board of Commissioners

Local Elected Accomplishments

• My number one priority has been keeping Benton County out of a deficit so taxes would not be raised unnecessarily and county services would not be reduced. When I was elected, I worked closely with staff to implement sound accounting and financial practices. I made strategic financial decisions, including reallocating funds when needed and consolidating certain county accounts to save taxpayer dollars. I also reviewed county accounts and eliminated wasteful spending. By ensuring all county elected officials worked together, we were able to balance the county budget and enhance services for Benton County residents—something many neighboring counties have not been able to accomplish.

• Building a state‑of‑the‑art Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Facility: This new facility will help many local residents in need of support—sons, daughters, parents, relatives, and others. It will help families heal and reunite as their loved ones recover. The cost per bed is projected to be lower than the cost per bed in jail, saving taxpayer dollars over time. It will also allow law enforcement to bring individuals in crisis directly to the recovery center instead of the emergency room, reducing wait times and keeping officers available for service.

• Public safety has been and will continue to be a top priority for me! We have increased funding for law enforcement, the Office of Public Defense, the Prosecutor’s Office, courtroom security, deputy wellness programs, and new digital radios that provide reliable communication in areas where old radios failed. These improvements help keep both our deputies and our citizens safe.

• Benton County Fairgrounds: The fairgrounds are undergoing a major transformation. Improvements include a new grandstand and updated buildings, allowing us to host more family‑friendly events, concerts, and community activities. More enhancements are coming.

• I utilized Rural County Capital Funds (RCCF) to partner with cities and ports throughout Benton County to make important community improvements—without raising taxes!  Examples include: – Prosser: Benton County provided nearly 100% of the funding ($2.3 million) for the expansion and extension of utilities under Interstate 82 to support the new Prosser Memorial Hospital and nearby development. I also worked personally to provide space on the first floor of the Benton County Courthouse for Prosser’s City Hall, saving both Prosser and Benton County taxpayers millions in construction and bonding costs. – Benton City: The county is investing nearly $1.4 million in RCCF funds for major lift station and generator upgrades. – West Richland: RCCF funds supported $1 million toward the city’s sewer expansion serving the Richland School District and surrounding properties. – Richland: Benton County contributed $1.5 million toward improvements to Duportail Street related to the new Costco project. – Kennewick: The county has committed $12 million in RCCF funds for the renovation and expansion of the Three Rivers Convention Center, part of an $81 million project. – Port of Benton: RCCF funding supported the Vintner’s Village II project in Prosser, including a 3,200‑square‑foot incubator space at $1.2 million. – Port of Kennewick: Benton County has supported several Vista Field projects using RCCF funds, including the Southern Gateway and Hangars Transformation at $3.4 million.

• Benton County Canine Shelter: I was actively involved in the project to expand and update the county’s canine shelter—an important improvement for animal welfare in our region.

I have been involved in countless projects across Benton County—too many to list—but each one has been focused on improving quality of life, strengthening our communities, and using taxpayer dollars responsibly.

My previous accomplishments as a Mayor and City Councilman of Richland WA

  • Duportial Bridge: Reduced the term Richland citizens would have to pay on the Duportail Bridge.  From a 20 year term the prior city council approved, to getting it paid off in under 4 years.  Without raising taxes or fees! Saving tax payers 16 years of payments on the bridge Campaign Promise Completed!
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  • Reduced Emergency Respones Times in Richland:  Built two new fire stations in Richland, hired an addittional 24 fire fighters without rasing taxes, fees and without taking away from any other projects. Found the funding sources and went after them.  In turn this provided more quality of life for area citizens and lowered response time which is key for medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest.  This takes someone with financial experience, along with carefull planning. I will bring this experience to Benton County as your next Benton County Commissioner.  
  • Tri-City Animal Shelter:  Richland, Kennewick and Pasco were budgeting to build a new animal shelter each putting up to $2 million dollars to build it.  City of Richland had $1.5 million and needed an additional $500,000 to meet its obligation.  Using my financial experience, I contacted the mayor and gave him my proposal on how to get the additional funding and then I contacted the city manager.  Later that day, the city manager emailed the rest of city council the proposal.  My proposal for the additional funding did not take away from other city projects nor did it require raising any city fees or taxes to taxpayers to fund it!   City Council approved my proposal, and we came up with the money to fund Richlands portion of the much-needed animal shelter, once again without raises taxes or fees!  This was a win, win for the citizens of Richland and the entire Tri-Cities!
  • City of Richland and Youth Sports Associations:  I worked very hard to get a fair deal for our youth sports organizations who lease Richlands sports fields from the city.  Talks had stalled between city staff and youth sports organizations.  I called for a special workshop for city council to see how we could get talks back on track and make it affordable for our youth to play on our fields.  Many youth sports organizations thanked me for the help. 

There are too many projects I have led or been a part of that saved taxpayer’s money, improved our parks and trails, and simply improved quality of life for Richland & Benton County citizens which is my number one priority!