Waitsburg Candidates for Mayor - Gobel

Incumbent Mayor Walt Gobel is vying for his sixth term since taking office in 2010.

"I'm concerned about the community. I think everybody has a responsibility to support the community as much as they can. Serving as mayor is my way of doing that," Gobel said.

Gobel has worked as Supervisor of Transportation for Pasco School District, Loss Control/Safety Specialist for ESD #123, and served 26 years as a Washington State Patrol officer, where he retired as a detachment sergeant.

"My whole career has been spent managing people and using common sense," Gobel said. "My wife Gwen and I were raised in small communities and, aside from the five years I spent teaching at the State Patrol Academy, the majority of my career has been spent in and around the Walla Walla Valley. We are familiar with the area and the people."

The Gobels moved to Waitsburg in 2006 and quickly became an integral part of the fabric of the community. Gobel became a Lion's member and joined the Booster Club, Commercial Club, and Historical Society shortly after moving to town. He and Gwen are deeply involved in planning and promoting Waitsburg Celebration Days and he helped with the Days of Real Sport horse races when they were still here, he said.

Gobel is clear on what he feels is the biggest challenge facing Waitsburg today.

"Strengthening our downtown vitality, yet maintaining the culture that Waitsburg is known for, is a top priority," he said. He plans to achieve that goal by continuing to work on ways to attract business and tourism.

"We've made some small progress with the downtown sculptures but we need to continue what has been successful. We also need to continue to support our excellent school system which is a vital part of our community," he said.

"Gwen and I chose to retire in Waitsburg because we wanted to live in a small community and we fell in love with the town when I worked in Dayton as a State Trooper. It's important to us to give back to the