Re-Elect Rob Coffman
Lincoln County Commissioner District #3
Significant Accomplishments
Please visit the links to learn more about each topic!
Transparency in Lincoln County
In 2016 Lincoln County became the first public entity in the State of Washington to take the bold step to open its labor union contract negotiations to the public.
I led this cause, because I believe that elected officials should not get to decide what the public should or should not know about how their tax money is spent.
To date, the county has successfully negotiated 6 union contracts in open public meetings.
2nd Amendment
I believe that the 2nd Amendment is the most important sentence in the entire United States Constitution. Without this, our inherent right of self-protection would be lost and we would no longer enjoy the freedom and liberties that this country was founded on.
I have worked hard to assure that your basic right to bear arms will remain protected. I have worked closely with two Superior Court Judges to make sure that the public can exercise their right to bear arms even when visiting the Lincoln County Courthouse. 2nd Amendment Resolution And also created a policy for the Public Works crews to also carry concealed firearms while on duty. Firearm Policy
Balanced Budget
Since 2008 when voters approved I-747, limiting property tax increases to 1% above the collected amount for the prior year, it has become increasingly difficult for small governments to balance their budgets. Lincoln County has a respectable track record of managing public funds.
When expenses rise faster than revenues, it takes experience and leadership to balance budgets while still providing essential services that the people need.
Public Safety
Public Safety should be a top priority for any County Commissioner. I have worked hard to make sure that it is adequately funded in Lincoln County.
Recognizing the financial difficulties ahead Plight of the Small Rural County I led the way in explaining to the voters the inherent problems. Not that I am a fan of more taxes but recognizing the fact that the voters should make an informed decision on whether or not they want to pay for Public Safety, we put the Proposition on the ballot to increase sales tax .03% for Public Safety. The voters recognized the problem and the increased was approved.
I also led the charge to secure funding from the legislature to purchase a new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) - Records Management System (RMS).
We were successful in a Capital Budget request for $500,000 to replace the antiquated equipment that would not otherwise have been possible.
This type of request had never been granted before. Proving that a good working relationship with our legislators is imperative to the success of the county.
Railroad
Since being elected in 2010, I have served on the Palouse-Coulee City Rail Authority. This Board is made up of a Commissioner from Spokane, Grant, Whitman and Lincoln county's.
We serve as a liaison between the WSDOT and the shippers and other interests on the state-owned rail lines. Since being on the PCCRA we have secured an actual budget line-item in the WSDOT budget and have successfully lobbied for and received 10's of millions of dollars from the state and federal coffers. These efforts have literally saved our county roads from devastating truck traffic that would destroy those roads that were not built to handle such loads.
Oppose all Unconstitutional Laws and Mandates
This heading speaks for itself.
I have worked hard to oppose all of these including 2nd Amendment violations and personal health decisions.
The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. If you don't like it, work to change it. Our forefathers were geniuses and left us ways to to that.
County Maintenance Facility
The county finally was able to build a new Repair and Maintenance Facility in Davenport adjacent to the Public Works Building. This is a project that had been much needed for a very long time. The old shop, located near the hospital, was far beyond its useful life. It used a tremendous amount of energy and was not designed to accommodate today’s equipment in an efficient manner. The energy savings alone make this a sensible project. While one might consider that the county could have “gotten by” with its old facility, we as commissioners are entrusted with efficiently providing services not only for today but for many generations to come.
This turned out to be a very good project and all of us involved with it are very proud of this accomplishment.
County Road Administration Board
There are no “CRAB’s” in Lincoln County! I hear that a lot! The County Road Administration Board is a very unique state agency. All 39 counties receive a portion of the state fuel tax. Those dollars are administered by CRAB and are allocated only after the counties comply with very strict Standards of Good Practice.
The Board is comprised of 6 County Commissioners from the large, medium and small counties and 3 County Engineers from the same. All of which are appointed by the Washington State Association of Counties. These positions are highly coveted among Commissioners and Engineers. I am grateful to have been recently appointed to my 4th, 3-year term on CRAB and have recently been elected as the Chairman.
County Road Projects
Lincoln County has completed many important county road projects during my time as County Commissioner, but perhaps none compare to the Porcupine Bay Landslide Repair Project. That 1100’ of roadway now has the distinction of being the most expensive stretch of road in the county. Our Public Works Director, Rick Becker, was awarded the prestigious “Project Manager of the Year Award by the Washington State Association of County Engineers. It was a well-deserved recognition and I was happy to write the nomination letter.
While serving 9 years on the County Road Administration Board (CRAB), I have become very familiar with how funding for county roads works. All of the 39 counties share of the state fuel tax dollars are administered by CRAB and not all roads qualify for improvements. When they do, often times it still takes years from when a project gets funding approval until time construction happens.
I often receive complaints about how different roads receive more attention than others. I am always willing to sit down with anyone to discuss these issues and explain how the complicated funding for county roads works.