Fairfield mayor candidate hopes to bridge community divide

A man once fired from Fairfield’s public works department is challenging a sitting council member for the role of mayor of the small town in southern Spokane County.

Fairfield Mayor Val Rogers, who has served on the town council for nearly two decades, opted not to run for a new term. Rogers was appointed to the position after the former mayor moved away.

David Rafferty was appointed to a vacant council seat a year ago and has decided to run for mayor instead of his current seat. His opponent, Derek Knecht, worked for the town’s public works department with his father, also named Derek, before both were fired several years ago. The elder Knecht ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2017 against the mayor who fired them.

Rafferty, who works as an IT technician for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, said he had planned to run for mayor in the future but decided to do it this year after several people asked him to run.

“Things were accelerated a bit,” he said.

He arrived in the area nearly three years ago after moving his family from Utah, where he had been a lifelong resident.

“We just wanted something different,” he said of their move to Fairfield. “We kind of took a gamble. I don’t think we’ll ever go back.”

Rafferty said he applied for the vacant seat on the council last year because he wants to be involved in his community.

“I want to leave wherever I am a better place for my kids,” he said. “That’s something I’ve wanted to do.”

He said he’s aware that Fairfield is split into factions when it comes to the Knecht family but said he has no firsthand knowledge of what happened because it predates his time in town.

“I’ve never actually met the guy,” he said of his opponent. “They haven’t really been involved in the community.”

The town has recently been the subject of several anonymous complaints made to state agencies alleging various violations, including to the Department of Labor and Industries. It’s not known who made the complaints, Rafferty said.

When Knecht’s father ran for mayor in 2017, letters from an anonymous group calling itself “Friends of Fairfield” were mailed to some town residents criticizing the elder Knecht, who said he was being slandered, according to previous Spokesman-Review reporting. He listened in to an executive session of the town council about him during which he was called a terrorist and other names, Knecht said at the time. The then-mayor accused him of inappropriately eavesdropping.

Rafferty said he believes the community rift about the Knechts is an important issue that needs to be dealt with.

“It’s caused quite a divide,” he said. “It’s actually kind of sad.”

Though he isn’t certain how to solve the problem, Rafferty said there have been efforts by some in the community to bridge the divide in the past year or so. He said he’d like to plan more community-wide events to bring people together in a positive way.

“The best way I can see is to reach out to different groups,” he said.

Rafferty said he makes it a point to make his home inviting for his children’s friends and that he gets to know his neighbors.

“I want the town to be an extension of that,” he said. “I want to make it a community where my kids can thrive.”

City council candidate Cynthia Davidson’s husband, George Davidson, was serving on the council when the Knechts were fired. She said her husband told her they were fired because they failed to show up for work and that city equipment was missing or damaged when they left. They had also changed the locks on the town shop and didn’t give the key to anyone, including the mayor, Cynthia Davidson said. The town had to pay a locksmith to come out to gain access to the shop.

Knecht did not respond to several requests for comment. He did, however, provide a brief statement to the statewide online voters guide available at www.votewa.gov. “As your Mayor, I will be committed to restoring our beloved town of Fairfield to its former glory,” the statement reads. “After the challenges we have faced, it is time to come together and rebuild our community. I understand the urgency of returning to normalcy, and I pledge to prioritize initiatives that revitalize our economy, improve public safety and enhance our quality of life. Fairfield’s resilience is our strength, and by uniting our diverse voices, we can overcome any adversity. Together, we will restore our town to its full potential and create a brighter future for all.”

The statement also refers to him as a “dedicated candidate” with a “deep understanding of infrastructure management, including water, sewer and park maintenance.”