It's been a long time since Pullman saw a competitive mayoral race — the last time there was more than one candidate was 1999.
Current Mayor Glenn Johnson, the famous "Voice of the Cougs" who announces the Washington State University football games, has run unopposed for the role since 2003.
But with Johnson declining to run this year, there's a rare opportunity to change the game in the college town.
In the Aug. 1 primary, three competitors are hoping to become the city's star player. They include current City Council members Eileen Macoll and Francis Benjamin, and retired teacher Deb McNeil.
EILEEN MACOLL
Like many residents, it was WSU that first brought Macoll to Pullman as a student in 1973, before she got married and decided to stick around.
Over the years she's worked as a real estate agent, theatrical scene painter, sales associate for Ace Hardware, horse trainer, and volunteer board member for various arts organizations.
Since 2015 she's served on City Council, and says she's ready for the next step.
"There's so many things I can only do from the other chair," Macoll says. "Although council determines policy, the mayor steers the ship."
An issue she'd like to tackle is traffic on Grand Avenue, which, aside from Main Street, is the main drag. Traffic regularly backs up in the afternoons, and she wants the city's engineering staff to try out different solutions such as timing the traffic lights differently.
"What we've got going now is not working. People get frustrated and run red lights, it's scary," Macoll says. "Pedestrians perched on the street corner wondering when it's their turn is not a welcoming way to say, 'Hey! Come visit our downtown!' We need to make that more welcoming."
Macoll says she's proud that the council recently implemented water conservation rules, which restrict automatic summer watering hours to three nights per week.
Water levels in the aquifer that serves Pullman, Moscow, and surrounding communities, are declining by about 0.7 feet per year, and Pullman is the largest water user. Macoll has been on the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee for six years, working on long-term regional water planning.
She'd like the city to examine its urban growth area and promote low-income housing.
She also says the council could improve communication with residents and staff.
"We need to make our council meetings more inviting," Macoll says, noting that as mayor she would also "make staff feel more comfortable in reaching out to individual council members."
The city is currently revitalizing its downtown, and Macoll wants to work with property owners to see if they can fill empty buildings with tenants and businesses.
Macoll recognizes Johnson's legacy — she saw hundreds gather at a recent Association of Washington Cities conference to hear Johnson speak, after chanting the Cougar fight song — and knows this will be a change for the city.
"That's how well known his presence is and the love and support he has earned by all of that outreach he's done," Macoll says. "We've got this amazing base to start with."
FRANCIS BENJAMIN
For more than three decades, Benjamin has worked at WSU, teaching real estate and designing psychology research.
He attended Moscow's University of Idaho, and stayed in the area to raise his family with his wife.
He was a city council member from 2003 to 2015, and was elected again in 2021.
During his six-year break from council, Benjamin helped start Pullman 2040 to bring together community groups to create a vision for the future.
He says he realized that the city focused on things like infrastructure, safety and the library, but there was little planning for economic development, home affordability and the potential growing pains to come.
"I realized there really had not been any type of long-range vision planning for what we want our town to look like roughly 20 years from now," Benjamin says. "What are the things Pullman currently has that we really like and want to be sure to maintain, and what don't we have that we want to add?"
The group has identified more than 50 projects, ranging from environmental efforts to food security. Benjamin was proud to help with the inaugural Three Forks River and Arts Festival this spring, which nods to the town's former name.
He hopes to see continued support for the expansion at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, which Johnson helped lead the way on.
Benjamin is also proud of the city's water conservation efforts, and converted his yard to native plants that don't require watering.
His experience on the council and with Pullman 2040 has made him ready to lead the city.
"The mayor is the one managing city staff and needs to have connections and relationships in the community," he says. "The work I've done with Pullman 2040 has really laid that groundwork."
He'd also like to acquire unused rail properties in town to expand the city's playing fields and create a community event space supplementing the downtown improvements.
"I have been very active," Benjamin says. "That really is an asset for me to be able to understand the varying needs of the community."
DEB McNEIL
After attending WSU, McNeil taught for nearly four decades in the Pullman School District, starting out with elementary and middle school and later teaching at the high school.
During that time, she worked stints as a librarian and the middle school vice principal, and helped with administration.
She and her husband also owned Quilted Heart for 17 years, until cotton supply issues led them to close the shop in 2013.
"Of the three candidates, I'm the only one that had a brick-and-mortar store downtown," McNeil says. "We certainly experienced everything a small business owner experiences: managing employees, business and occupation tax, insurance, and supply chains — even back then, the supply chains had issues."
McNeil retired from teaching in 2014, and says she's spent the last 9 years being a "nanna" to her grandchildren and extended family.
"We got to see how the city responds to children and working families," McNeil says.
She's seen great opportunities provided by parks and recreation and the library, but feels the city could better communicate with busy families so they have time to respond to issues they care about.
McNeil says she's appreciated Johnson's work on big vision projects, but as mayor she'd focus on building relationships with families and seniors.
"Eighty percent of the mayor's job is to go out and listen to what people are saying," McNeil says. "I can go to those places where the parents are. They have concerns, but they don't have the time. I see myself as that sort of conduit."
She suggests planning small events like block parties for people to get to know their neighbors.
"I'm very proactive in getting people to rethink: What is community? Getting to know all your neighbors, watching their back, helping somebody on your block," McNeil says. "I know that's hard to do sometimes, we're such a transient community. ... We go from 12,500 in the summer to 35,000 within two weeks in August" due to returning WSU students.
She agrees that Grand Avenue traffic needs to be addressed, and knows it contributes to the perception that the area is growing too big.
Water planning is her top priority.
"The number one way to kill your community is not to worry about the water," McNeil says. "We have to have a managed growth plan."
While downtown is under construction in coming years, she'd also like to work with landlords to ensure that businesses survive.
"I have absolutely no doubt that what I have done in the last 38 years of teaching is more than enough to prepare me for this mayor's position," McNeil says. "I'm a quick study. I could be ready to rock and roll that joint on whatever day in January they want me there." ♦
