Taxpayers are being asked to commit $15 Million to benefit a private developer. 

We need to join together to say loudly and clearly it is not open season on using taxpayer money to fund private development in a biased manner. We support reasonable measures to increase local retail opportunities. By no means is our motivation “anti-growth” or to stifle competition. But we will not support a private shopping center built at our expense, while gambling with our public funds.

 The proposed Hawkins development in Whitman County, Washington, will be constructed with millions of dollars in taxpayer funding.  A majority of the Whitman County Commissioners have unwisely voted 2-1 and doubled down in the face of public opposition, to commit 15.1 million dollars to underwrite this private enterprise.

Without knowing from where the money will come, Whitman County, absent a reversal, is going to have to guarantee that the private Hawkins project be built on the taxpayers’ dime.

Outside the courts, our only option is to stop the Hawkins Development project from going forward.  We can help do this by informing potential retailers that because we are against committing 15.1 million in taxpayer dollars to this private development, we plan not to shop there.

Why will this work? Hawkins cannot enforce the contract unless they provide two large potential retailers who agree in advance to locate at the development. If a business sees that it would be just as convenient to find an alternative commercial space not filled with controversy, they won’t sign on with Hawkins.  

Please sign with us to show you believe that county tax dollars should be used for the county’s business, not to line a developer’s pockets.  We also plan to print in a local newspaper ad of the names of local residents who selected to display their signature publicly against this boondoggle.

Let the developer use his own money to build his shopping center, not ours.