Author: Randy Slovic

In 2019 Mayor Bob Thompson, collected $39,950.84 from the City of Richland for wages; medical, dental and vision insurance; and mileage compensation. In Kennewick his paycheck was $49,472 for defending former Mayor Steve Young from a recall petition. It is unclear what services were provided in 2016 when Thompson received $25,000 from Kennewick. The 2016 payment was also greater than Thompson’s Richland compensation that year as the insurance coverage that Richland council members now receive wasn’t approved until March 21, 2017.

Recently Thompson also defended current Kennewick Mayor Don Britain in his successful effort to have a recall petition dismissed. Britain said he would pay his own legal fees but did not indicate if he would then ask the Kennewick City Council members to vote to cover his costs as they did in the Young case. https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article240212007.html

Based on information obtained from Richland, Kennewick and Pasco governments, in 2019 city council member compensation had a wide range. The amount depended on whether the jurisdiction provided medical, dental and vision insurance for its members, whether the members enrolled in those programs and how many family members were covered.

In March 21, 2017 Richland City Council voted unanimously to provide 100% visual and dental coverage and 88% of the medical coverage for city council members, replacing a 2001 ordinance that allowed members access to the employee insurance program. Kennewick officials could not pinpoint when the current insurance benefit was adopted but believed that it was some time before 1984. Kennewick city council members also pay 12% of the cost of the medical insurance coverage.

Kennewick City Councilman John Trumbo collected more in base pay and medical, dental and vision insurance than any other council member in the Tri-Cities, $42,339.48. Bob Thompson collected the second highest amount for the same year, $37,862.88..

The base pay in Kennewick for 2019 was $14,700. For the city council members in Kennewick who were on the Council for all of 2019, the compensation range including base pay and medical dental and vision insurance ranged from Trumbo’s $42,339.48 to $27,332.97 for Bill McKay. Don Britain received $36,546.98; Steve Lee, $35,353.68. Paul Parish who didn’t run for re-election received $35,880.72 for a partial year. Charles Torelli, appointed to replace Matt Boehnke who was elected to the state legislature in 2018, received $11,522.48 for a partial year (he did not participate in the medical or dental program). Steve Young who died in May 2019 received $13,065.70 and his appointed replacement, Ed Frost, received $6,968.17.

Base pay for Richland City Council members was $13,920.00 in 2019. Compensation in Richland for 2019 ranged from $13,920 collected by Brad Anderson and Sandra Kent to Thompson’s $37,862.88. Michael Alvarez was the second highest compensated member of the Richland Council at $34,862; Phil Lemley third at $29,753.04; Terry Christensen and Ryan Lukson each received $15,777.84.

Base pay for Pasco City Council members was $13, 379.60. Pasco does not provide health, dental or vision insurance to its members.

For purposes of comparison Social Security, Paid Family and Medical Leave and Medicare were not considered because the three jurisdictions did not treat them the same way. Kennewick pays those and treats them as a benefit. They are subtracted from the city council compensation in Pasco. Richland did not indicate how they were treated.

Bob Thompson has kicked the can down the road on his DUI case for a third time. He says his arrest was illegal. https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article239138868.html

At the time of his arrest, Thompson asked for a blood test and was taken to the hospital for that purpose, but the results of that blood test have not been released. Here is the police report from his arrest on June 29, 2019. The 4th page has the officer’s narrative about the incident including the blood test which is mentioned in the next to the last sentence.

A large group supporting a new animal shelter for the Tri-Cities described to the Council the poor conditions at the existing shelter.

Hello,

I’m starting a blog to document Richland politics. I hope you’ll follow along.

Best,

Randy Slovic

A wife, mother and grandmother, Randy has experience in government and business. She’s excited to share her personal and professional experience with Richland, her home for the past 10 years.

When her two girls were very young, Randy worked as an assistant to Maryland state delegate Jennie Forehand, later joining the legislative staff of U.S. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina. She then became a Congressional legislative director, a job few women held at the time, to U.S. Rep. Lane Evans of Illinois.

Randy also has experience running family businesses. She helped her husband, Bob, run a mid-sized oil company that remains in the family to this day, almost 100 years after its founding. Randy has also been a partner in a family-owned commercial property business.  

She moved to Richland in 2009 after Bob, an engineer, accepted a transfer to Hanford.

Randy is passionate about the environment.

She is certified in wetland delineation, trained in macroinvertebrate identification, and experienced in stormwater management issues.  

For the past three years Randy has introduced Benton County 5th graders to the world of aquatic insects at the annual Salmon Summit. Her Benton County Heritage Garden has been featured on the Academy of Children’s Theatre Garden Tour.

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