Mayors, challengers square off in Tekoa, Palouse and Endicott

Editor's Note: In the Thursday, Nov. 2 issue of the Whitman County Gazette, the incumbent mayoral candidates in Tekoa, Palouse and Endicott were inadvertently omitted in the story, "General Election mayoral races on the ballot.” Here is a revised story with information on the challengers and incumbents.

TEKOA

Incumbent Mayor Roy Schulz is facing challenger Shelly Ausmus in the Nov. 7 general election.

Schulz was appointed two years ago and has spent 13 years as a city councilman.

Schulz has worked in the farm and fuel industry all his life and served on numerous committees around Tekoa. He has also coached basketball and served as a Slippery Gulch committee volunteer.

"I think we've developed some real positive energy and some real vision as to where we need to go," Schulz said.

Schulz is working towards communicating the progress they've made to the public and showing that they're headed in the right direction.

Overall, Schulz said they've got some positive stuff going, "I represented the town well as a council member, and I think that experience helped me," he said.

Ausmus has been on the City Council for two years.

Ausmus serves as the branch manager for the Tekoa branch of the Whitman County Library and, from 2018 to the present, is the high school and middle school language arts teacher. She has been self-employed, designing and publishing newsletters for property management companies more than 20 years.

If elected, Ausmus's goals include paying city employees competitively, but allowing the council and not the state to set the wages.

"I am committed to meeting our obligations, while fighting to not raise rates and fees more than absolutely necessary," Ausmus said.

She said she's heard residents' concerns about fixed incomes, and she shares them.

PALOUSE

Incumbent Mayor Tim Sievers is being challenged by April Borden in the Nov. 7 general election.

Sievers has served two years as mayor and previously served four years on the City Council.

Sievers is currently the Festival Dance and Performing Arts Association executive director in Moscow, Idaho.

Sievers said he has served in fundraising capacities for non-profits, including Big Brothers and Sisters in Montana and Michigan, and has worked in communications for the Michigan Senate, Michigan House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate.

"If I'm elected, we'll continue to address aging infrastructure, water and sewer systems, economic vitalization of our downtown, and increasing access to affordable housing," he said of the mayoral race.

Borden is seeking to encourage more community involvement and bring additional events like Cabin Fever, Palouse Days and other small events like Paint and Sip Night to town.

She has been a deckhand at the Kootenai County Jail in Idaho and works in automotive repair at Hive and College Cabs.

Borden has volunteered work with groups from 2008-16, including Family Readiness Group, sending care packages to soldiers overseas through the National Guard and chaperoning Military youth group events.

ENDICOTT

Nate Pierson is challenging current Mayor Richard Dean Marty for the city's top position in the Nov. 7 general election.

Marty has been on the council for several years.

The council selected him to serve as mayor in June when Steve Salzman retired.

"I'm currently the manager for the McGregor Co. of LaCrosse, Wash.," Marty said.

If elected, he plans to maintain city ordinances, keep the town flowing and work on the current issues of the streets.

"Just making Endicott a great place to live," Marty said.

A newcomer to politics, Pierson previously served as a Washington State University club president for one year and Robotics Club adviser for two years.

Pierson's goals, if elected, include flying a Volga German flag at town hall, out of respect for the town's founders, and installing solar lighting and conventional generators for emergency use during power outages.