Budget-Minded Farmer Wants To Keep County Post

WAITSBURG - Perry Dozier didn't want to be a farmer, nor a county commissioner.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics, Dozier, a Touchet Valley resident all of his life, wanted to be a pilot.

In 1986, he worked for a bit of time as a commercial airplane pilot. But, there was an influx of pilots at that time and some new rules in the industry. After pursuing that dream for about three years, Dozier gave up on that career and continued his family's tradition of farming.

Dozier's career in farming and potions he has had on state boards that have lobbied for farmers encouraged him to take on the role as Walla Walla County Commissioner. He was elected in 2008 and now at the end of his first term, he has announced he wants to stay in the game. He hopes to be re-elected to his county post next November.

Dozier grew up on a dry land wheat farm 4 miles southeast of Prescott. He is a graduate of Prescott High School.

After earning his college degree, he married Darleen, who was from the Waitsburg area.

With a few years in as a commercial pilot, he turned back to farming and helped manage farmland in Pasco near Road 68, which is the area that now has the TRAC convention center. Managing this farmland eventually led to annexing some of the property into the city. Dozier said he learned all about land use and the issues involved while selling property in Franklin County.

He moved on to farming in Walla Walla County in 1986, when he leased his 300 acres on Conover Road outside of Waitsburg from the Lloyd and Aldrige families. By 1994, he had been able to purchase the land he had previously leased and built his family home.

"This is one of the many pieces that we farm," Dozier said.

He also farms land in Prescott, south of his 300 acres, and north of Waitsburg. He and Darleen have two high-school aged boys who keep them busy with attending sports games for basketball, baseball and track.

His involvement in politics didn't start until the late 1990s when he was elected to the Washington State Association of Wheat growers and he served a four-year term. In 2001, he was president of that board.

"We were looking out for the interests of agriculture," he said.

His job was to make connections with elected officials and lobby on behalf of farmers. He was next elected to the Barley Commission in 2003 and served for two years in that capacity.

"That just led to various other positions," Dozier said.

Those other positions included one on the board of the Northwest Grain Growers Association, where he really began to take an interest in running for public office at the state or county level.

"But I wasn't really prepared when I was asked," Dozier said.

He said he had young kids at that time and was still doing much of the physical work required on his farm.

"The seed was planted," Dozier said.

The perfect timing came in 2008 when the District 2 county commissioner had announced plans to retire after 20 years in the post. District 2 covers the northeast corner of the county, with the boundary stretching from Harvey Shaw Road 7 miles out of Prescott into the north part of the city of Walla Walla near Whitman College and toward Mill Creek. All of the districts have about 19,000 people, Dozier said.

"I really wasn't prepared to step away from farming," he said. "I had to make sure I had a very good employee."

Now, he's in more of a manager position on the farm and that works out.

In March of 2008, he threw his hat in the ring for the commissioner seat and began attending their meetings to learn and understand how business was done. He visited with local officials and when he was elected in November of 2008, he took even more time to attend meetings and immerse himself in the position.

"Even with that preparation, the learning curve is extremely steep," Dozier said.

He said it took most of his first year as commissioner to really learn how the county operates. The county budget is very complex, he added, and it requires looking at the big picture. And soon after he started the position, the economy tanked.

"It really made things interesting," he added.

He learned how to do more with much less. There were some layoffs in the county in departments where the funding primarily came from state and federal finds. In 2011, the commissioners did ask for wage freezes and furlough days, Dozier said.

But, there are signs of improvement. In the 2012 budget, cost of living increases for staff members were reinstated and there are no scheduled furlough days.

Dozier said he is thankful to the county staff members and department heads that provided a ton of supports and stayed on or under budget in tough times.

He began to become more and more interested in the county budget two years ago and started sitting in on budget meetings. He said this is now one of his favorite aspects of the job.

"I like being able to meet the goals that we've set," Dozier said.

Commissioner Greg Tompkins said Dozier has been a "wonderful" addition to the board of commissioners. Tompkins said Dozier really studied the issues and brought a "fresh perspective" to the table, as well as his knowledge in economics and farming.

Tomkins said Walla Walla County residents should reelect Dozier.

"Walla Walla County needs his services," Tompkins said.

If he is re-elected, his priorities would be to continue to make great strides budgetwise and also to continue to improve the 911 dispatch radio system. He said the radio system is "in dire need of an upgrade." With emergency services and the sheriff 's office counting on this tool, he said it is worth the nearly $250,000 the county has spent on it over the past couple of months and possibly even more to upgrade it further.

No one has yet filed or announced that they plan to run against Dozier for the District 2 seat. He said he has heard rumblings of possibly three other people, but they have until later this spring to file.

He and Commissioner Greg Tompkins will be appointing a commissioner to replace Gregg Loney, who has resigned because of health reasons.

Having a new commissioner on board is one of the reasons he wants to stay in the position.

"You don't just step in and become a strong asset," Dozier said because of the depth and knowledge the position requires. "I feel it is important to keep my knowledge (on the board)."