Clark County Councilors pick former Army general to fill District 4 seat

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Clark County Councilors voted unanimously to appoint former U.S. Army major general and California judge Gary Medvigy to the vacant District 4 seat this afternoon.

Medvigy, a resident of the Fern Prairie neighborhood north of Camas, was chosen among three Republicans who were forwarded to the council by Clark County Republican Party precinct committee officers last week. Medvigy will take the seat vacated by current council chair Eileen Quiring who left to fulfill her current, at-large position following a successful election last November.

The councilors pointed to Medvigy’s experience and background as reasons for his appointment. A release from the county pointed to his 33 years in public service which included time in the Army, as a prosecuting attorney and most recently a California Superior Court Judge.

Medvigy himself pointed to his “broad breadth of experience” both as a judge stateside as well as judicial work with the Army, notably in Afghanistan where he was in charge of “trying to rebuild their legal system, from courthouses, defense attorney’s training to judges training.”

Medvigy said he was often appointed as commander to particular operations which he likened to the councilor role, making decisions based on the recommendations of his staff.

“I had the reputation of getting things done … in a collaborative way,” Medvigy said.

Regarding priorities for 2019, Medvigy said that maintaining a balanced budget while dealing with issues such as jail replacement and tackling deferred maintenance was a chief concern. He stressed the importance of a long-range capital budget to address those needs as well as infrastructure, stating that he was in favor of planning for additional crossings over the Columbia River outside of an Interstate 5 bridge replacement.

“We need more corridors, right now,” Medvigy said, adding that though it was “ridiculous” to have a bridge that still relies on bridge lifts on a major route from Canada to Mexico, another crossing to the west or east was more of a priority.

Medvigy said that outside of simply replacing the jail the county should look at preventative measures to keep individuals from entering the facility in the first place.

“Almost all criminal law has to do with mental health and drugs,” Medvigy remarked. He pointed to a robust probation department, diversion programs and jail alternatives as helping to combat the issue.

“It’s money well spent,” Medvigy said. “Having worked as a judge and a prosecutor, believe me, I’m well aware.”



Medvigy also addressed a question about the ongoing measles outbreak, lauding what the county has done on informing and investigating new and suspected cases. He said he was surprised at the number of exemptions for immunizations, stressing education in order to protect more of the population.

“It’s just unconscionable that we have such a large portion of children who are not immunized,” Medvigy said, adding that when he was living in California he suspected similar issues.

Medvigy clarified his stance in a follow-up question from Quiring about the rights of families not to immunize, explaining “as far as people having a legitimate basis for objecting, I think that ends where it impacts the health of a community.”

Though he couldn’t recall serving on any appointed or elected government board, Medvigy pointed to his military experience where he made decisions based on recommendations from such groups. He said listening, being respectful and having an open mind to see other perspectives were instrumental to success in those capacities.

Medvigy said that though having a political affiliation may be indication that a councilor would use a particular set of ideals to come up with solutions, much of what the county elected officials must do was nonpartisan. He did note District 4 has unique challenges, being the most rural one in the county, but acknowledged that “everything we do impacts everyone else, whether it’s in the 4th District, it impacts the 1st and the 3rd and vice versa.”

“It’s very hard to believe that you can do something in isolation and just take a dogmatic approach on any issue because it’s all interrelated,” Medvigy said.

Medvigy spoke specifically about plans for industrial development along the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, something he was generally in favor of.

“In can be an artery for commerce for all of Clark County,” Medvigy said, adding that “if done right” the railroad can be an asset that wouldn’t negatively impact the current aesthetic of the rural area it runs through.

Medvigy won out over airline pilot and interstate tolling opponent John Ley and Clark County Republican Party Vice-Chair Brook Pell for the appointment. He will have to run for election this year as well as in 2020 for re-election, when the term he has been appointed to will expire.