Rundell, Hall running unopposed for Columbia County Commissioners

DAYTON—Ryan Rundell and Marty Hall are running unopposed for four-year terms on the Board of Columbia County Commissioners, representing Districts 1 and 2, respectively.

When elected in November, January 1 will be the start of Hall’s second full term in office.

Hall looks forward to continuing the daily tasks associated with his position on the board and wants people to know about three of the most important accomplishments during his time in office.

In a prepared statement, Hall said the county has been able to get the Public Works Department back on track, post-COVID. This includes capturing grants totaling $21 million for fourteen current and future road and bridge projects.

Hall stated that added protection for the community offsets any higher costs associated with providing a fully staffed and proactive Sheriff’s Office. He noted that substance abuse and associated crime is a big issue locally as well as state-wide.

Also, the newly formed county Human Resources Department provides another layer of protection by providing the county and its employees with a more secure and pleasant working environment.

“I don’t take this responsibility lightly and am humbly asking for your vote,” he stated, pointing out he is not influenced by any one group or individual but makes his decisions based on the good of the whole community.

A lifelong farmer, Hall has been a past President of the Columbia County Cattleman’s Association, past Secretary/Treasurer of the Columbia County Cattleman’s Association, and served as a Fire District 1 Walla Walla County commissioner. His community service included thirty-six years as a volunteer fireman in Walla Walla County, District 1, and twenty years with District 3 in Columbia County. He is also active in the Starbuck Community Church.

Ryan Rundell was tapped to fill the remainder of Norm Passmore’s term on the Board of County Commissioners in 2019. He was elected to a four-year term in 2020 and is now asking voters to support him for four more years.

“Thank you for allowing me to serve as one of your commissioners,” Rundell said in a prepared statement.

Because local government is closer to the people than state government, he said it should be the most responsive to the needs of the people. Issues should be looked at holistically, and regulations should be applied equally and as unobtrusively as possible. Government, he writes, should be transparent, and people should know that their voices will be heard.

“We may not always agree, but it is important for the community that whatever the issue, we can hear and respect people we do not agree with,” Rundell said in his statement.

Rundell was raised in Columbia County and graduated from Dayton High School. He has a degree in finance from WSU and a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Qingdau University. In addition to his responsibilities on the board, he works at Elk Drug in Dayton.

His community service includes serving as a Young Life Leader and working with the Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue program.

The deadline for the auditor’s office to receive primary ballots is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6. Because they are running unopposed, both candidates will advance to the November General Election on Tuesday, November 5.