tony accurso yacht

Tony Accurso’s Touch Yacht on sale for $7.9 million

By Adrian Prisca

Updated on September 1, 2017

Tony Accurso is selling of his luxury yacht, a 120-foot yacht known as the Touch, for $7.9 million to pay off his tax debt. Tony Accurso is a Quebec millionaire whose construction companies are facing federal tax evasion charges. One of his companies improperly claimed and deducted $1.7 million in expensive on the yacht as business expenses.

Two of his companies pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion and agreed to pay $4.1 million in taxes plus an additional $4.1 million in fines by next summer. All that will be covered through the sale of his superyacht Touch which was built in 2004 and refitted in 2008.

The aluminum-hulled yacht can accommodate up to eight guests in a master cabin and three double cabins and it also has a room for a crew of seven. An exterior hut tub, leather chairs on its top deck, wireless internet, a private dining room and several bars and loungers are other attractions of the Touch.

The interior of the yacht was designed by Danielle Vignault and features gleaming teak wood finishes. The luxury yacht will also come with kayaks, water skiing equipment, wake boards and other water toys.

About Adrian Prisca

Founder of Luxatic and countless other projects, Adrian has shaped this website into a go-to source for discerning readers looking for the latest in luxury products and experiences. He has over 15 years of experience in creating, managing and publishing lifestyle content across numerous platforms and he’s considered a leading voice in the luxury industry. Learn more about Luxatic's Editorial Process .

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Who’s been in Accurso’s yacht? Nobody in my cabinet, Charest insists

This article was published more than 11 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest responds to a question during a new conference while visiting a farm Friday, August 24, 2012 in St-Hyacinthe, Que. Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press

"Have you been on Tony Accurso's boat?"

Jean Charest repeated the question again and again to journalists Wednesday, as they pressed him to reveal whether any of his cabinet ministers had been on the luxury yacht of the construction magnate accused of fraud, conspiracy and corruption.

Mr. Charest was responding to an accusation repeated by Jacques Duchesneau, the corruption-fighting cop turned partisan pitbull who told a Montreal radio station Wednesday that members of Mr. Charest's cabinet have been on the infamous boat.

Mr. Charest said he polled his cabinet ministers when the allegation first came to light months ago. He said the answer was an emphatic "No." He then turned the tables: "Are there not rumours journalists went on Mr. Accurso's boat?"

The reporters onhand shuffled in awkward silence, not because any of them had been on the boat (none had, for the record) but because they're supposed to be the ones asking the questions.

"I'm profoundly saddened by the words of Mr. Duchesneau," Mr. Charest said. "There is no basis for this. Since when do we live in a society where Mr. Duchesneau can go around sullying people's names and finish by saying: 'I won't name names.'"

Mr. Accurso's yacht, The Touch, became an important symbol in Quebec's corruption scandal after it emerged Frank Zampino, then the right-hand man of Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay, had taken a ride as important city contracts were awarded to Mr. Accurso's firms. Mr. Zampino is also facing criminal charges.

Mr. Duchesneau, who joined the political fray as a candidate for Coalition Avenir Québec and has gained a reputation as a loose cannon, told radio host Paul Arcand that Liberal ministers had been on the yacht but that he couldn't name names for legal reasons.

Mr. Charest said Mr. Duchesneau is using bully tactics.

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Unflappable Accurso defends luxury yacht trips

MONTREAL - Businessman Tony Accurso once again gave as good as he got Thursday at the Charbonneau Commission, suggesting that he was targeted by the Parti Quebecois for being a big supporter of the rival Liberal Party. 

In 2012, Accurso was informed that his companies would no longer be permitted to bid on any Hydro Quebec contracts, a decision Accurso described as “disgusting.” “It’s a situation that I couldn’t understand,” he said.

He said that he suspected that Premier Pauline Marois made the decision. “Maybe I didn’t get the PQ enough money,” he said.

The subject was brought up near the end of a long day of testimony and promised to spill over into Friday's discussions.

Just prior to the the end of the day's proceedings, Accurso was shown a 2001 photo of himself hugging former Premier Jean Charest.

He was asked about his relationship to the party which ruled Quebec from 1998 to 2012.

"It’s no secret that I’m a Liberal," Accurso said. "That photo was taken at my restaurant. I was asked to host a cocktail fundraiser. I didn’t organize it but I supplied the space."  He said he had no idea how much money was raised.

Earlier, Accurso provided some names of those whom he invited onto his yacht, which has been seen as a tool for currying favour with people in power.

Rock legend Mick Jagger once rented the yacht but the controversial businessman told the commission that former Liberal MNA Tony Tomassi never set foot on his boat, nor did any other MNA or MP.

Joe Borsellino of Garnier Construction, one of Accurso’s competitors, has previously testified that Tomassi had visited the contractor’s famous yacht, the Touch.

“We saw it in conversations, he said that Tomassi was on my boat and that is absolutely false,” Accurso exclaimed Thursday without being asked the question by prosecutor Sonia Lebel.

Tomassi served as Minister of Families in the Charest government from 2008 to 2010. He resigned in 2012 after it was revealed that he had used the credit card of a private company while in power.

“It is clear that Joe Borsellino and I had clashing personalities. I do not like him and maybe he does not like me either. He spoke badly of me and I was talking bad about him,” summarized Accurso, formerly of Simard-Beaudry and Construction Louisbourg.

Accurso’s lawyer Louis Belleau also clarified that there is no registry of persons who have been on Accurso’s board. The commission specifically asked Accurso for a list, which he drew up from memory with available information.

The inquiry then lingered on the role of “advisor” that Accurso seems to have played with Guy Gionet, boss of SOLIM, then the real estate arm of the FTQ Solidarity Fund.

Wiretapping excerpts dating back to February 2009 and played Thursday featured Accurso giving his opinion on rival Borsellino to Gionet. Borsellino had asked for a meeting with Gionet, and Gionet called Accurso to inform him that his competitor had asked to make an appointment.

“I wouldn’t give him an appointment. You can’t trust him,” Accurso said.

Accurso spent much of the afternoon listening to his own voice on wiretaps. On one he was heard vigorously denouncing the fact that Chinese engineers had won a contract over Quebec bidders.

After the tape finished Accurso apologized to the commission for his language. "I thought I was having a private conversation," he said. He explained that such spicy manner of speaking is a standard means of communication in the construction industry. 

The commission will reconvene Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. when Accurso will likely face more questions about his financial relations with political parties.

-With a file from The Canadian Press

Stephane Giroux reports on Twitter

Jean Charest is seen hugging Tony Accurso at a fundraiser in 2001. (Charbonneau Commission handout)

Related Stories

• Accurso faces tougher questioning, denies favours from union heads
• Charbonneau Commission rejects publication ban bid, Accurso begins testifying
• Tony Accurso denies favours from union heads

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Quebec town becomes the shamed face of corruption scandal after Mayor targeted for arrest

On the town of Mascouche website, Mayor Richard Marcotte says the municipality’s motto, Cedo nulli — I yield to no one — captures the proud spirit of its residents

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MONTREAL — On the town of Mascouche website, Mayor Richard Marcotte says the municipality’s motto, Cedo nulli — I yield to no one — captures the proud spirit of its residents.

But as investigators sealed off the City Hall with police tape Tuesday morning, the rapidly growing bedroom community north of Montreal became the shamed face of the corruption scandal that has gripped Quebec for more than two years.

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The largest operation to date of the provincial anti-corruption squad led to the arrest of Tony Accurso, the man behind one of Quebec’s most important construction empires, on charges including fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust and influencing municipal officials. It ensnared 13 others, including another prominent construction entrepreneur, a lawyer with a major Montreal firm and two men with ties to the governing Liberal party.

And it yielded an arrest warrant against Mr. Marcotte, who was out of the country Tuesday, reportedly vacationing in Cuba. Contrary to his town’s motto, Mr. Marcotte is alleged to have yielded to plenty of people.

Court documents say Mr. Marcotte accepted a trip on Mr. Accurso’s luxury yacht, the Touch, and in exchange gave Mr. Accurso favourable treatment in business dealings involving Mascouche and the local water-treatment agencies. He is also alleged to have received 10 loads of topsoil at his home from Transport et Excavation Mascouche Inc., which had extensive business dealings with the town. Another charge alleges Mr. Marcotte accepted an “advantage or benefit” from nine of the co-accused in the conspiracy, committing fraud on the government.

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Police declined to put a dollar value on the alleged bribes uncovered by the 18-month investigation, but Lieutenant Guy Lapointe of the Sûreté du Québec said they were part of an entrenched system.

“A system had been put into place a few years ago allowing certain companies to gain an advantage towards the attribution of lucrative municipal contracts,” Lieut. Lapointe said. “This system was also aimed at giving elected officials and city officials advantages in return for favourable decisions.” In the end, he added: “It comes down to a very simple, you give something and you get something in return.”

In Quebec City, Premier Jean Charest, greeted the arrests as a vindication of his response to the corruption scandal. Until bowing to public pressure last year, he had resisted calls for a commission of inquiry, saying it was better to leave the matter to the provincial anti-corruption police squad, known as UPAC.

“We always believed UPAC had to be given the time to work,” he said, adding that his government does not meddle in police investigations. “Today’s operation reminds us that no one is above the law,” he said.

Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois complained that the arrests were too slow in coming, and François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec said they represent just the tip of the iceberg. “People have been arrested, but we still have a system in place,” he said. “Today I remain worried about contracts that are awarded in municipalities.”

Mr. Accurso, 61, who long preferred a discreet role, has attracted increasing attention since the Canada Revenue Agency announced an investigation of three of his firms for tax fraud in 2009. In 2010, two of those companies pleaded guilty to $4-million in tax evasion. It also emerged that he had entertained politicians and top union officials on his yacht. According to a 2005 article in ShowBoats International, the Touch features a six-person Jacuzzi, four bedrooms with king-size beds and could be chartered for US$60,000 a week.

Tuesday’s operation, labelled Operation Gravel by investigators, produced 47 charges against 14 individuals and two companies. Among those charged is Normand Trudel, owner of Transport et Excavation Mascouche, which faces separate charges. Mr. Trudel and Mr. Accurso are business partners in another Mascouche company, Ecolosol, which was not charged Tuesday. Mr. Trudel donated to the provincial Liberals and in 2008 he organized a fundraiser at his home for the party, at which Mr. Charest was the guest of honour.

Louis-Georges Boudreault, 77, another of those arrested on two criminal charges, was given an award by the Liberals two years ago for his work for the party. Mr. Boudreault is also fighting two charges under Quebec’s electoral law alleging he helped a Liberal candidate in the 2008 election receive illegal donations.

Jacques Audette, 59, a labour and employment lawyer with Fasken Martineau, faces six charges including fraud, conspiracy and influencing a municipal official. His firm issued a brief statement saying it will co-operate fully with the police.

The others facing charges are Gaétan Biancamano, 67, Sylvie Chassé, 50, André de Maisonneuve, 56, Claude Duchesne, 58, Serge Duplessis, 58, Rosaire Fontaine, 61, Pierre Lamarche, 54, Jean Leroux, 59, Pierre Raymond, 55, Luc Tremblay, 62, and the engineering firm BPR Triax Inc. They have been released on a promise to appear in Quebec Court in Joliette June 19.

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Tony accurso’s luxury yacht for sale.

Some of you probably already know the ugly story of Tony Accurso’s construction companies and the charges they are facing. Two of his companies, Louisbourg Construction and Simard-Beaudry Construction, have pleaded guilty of the charges that have been brought against them. In consequence, impressive amounts of money need to be paid.

For this reason Tony Accurso found himself forced to sell his luxury yacht , the Touch. The vessel was built in 2004 and refitted four years later. It can host eight guest and seven more crew members. Among its luxury amenities we mention the master cabin, the private dining room, the on-board exterior hot tub, several bars and lounges and the fact that it has wireless internet.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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Tony Accurso Calls It Quits...Or Does He?

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In a week of bombshells, this is the latest and, so far, the biggest. Tony Accurso, the Quebec construction tycoon whose yacht has become almost as famous as his business ventures and the allegations against him, announced on Tuesday he was leaving the business world on a permanent basis.

That announcement comes as the Charbonneau inquiry into allegations of construction industry corruption continues to hear Accurso’s name on the lips of star witness Lino Zambito and Quebec’s anti-corruption squad’s raids on Accurso’s businesses continue.

What could this departure mean? And does the fact Accurso has left public life suggest that some other game changing moves may be afoot?

We asked those questions to The Gazette’s Paul Cherry,who has covered Accurso’s problems with the justice and tax system.

This is what he said:

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City Palace Tower Moscow Skyscraper

City Palace Tower Moscow, Russian Skyscraper Building, Architecture, Architect, Picture

City Palace Tower : Moscow Skyscraper

New Tall Building in Russia inspired by Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’ design by RMJM Architects

24 Jan 2010

Location: Moscow, Russia

Design: RMJM Architects

City Palace Tower Moscow

Russian Kiss – Designing Moscow’s City Palace Tower

On 21 January, Tony Kettle, Group Design Director of leading international architects RMJM and artist Karen Forbes are celebrating the launch of a unique design project – Moscow’s City Palace Tower. The inspiration for this dramatic, twisting 46 storey building was Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’, and is possibly the first ever building to be co-designed by an architect and artist from conception.

At the event, to be held at The Lighthouse Scotland’s national Architecture and Design Centre, the designers will also launch a limited edition book called ‘City Palace, Moscow’. The 80-page publication charts the evolution of the City Palace Tower design concept, from early ideas through to detailed development, providing superb drawings, digital images and statements that tell the remarkable story of the City Palace Tower building and the groundbreaking collaboration between the architect and artist behind it.

The launch event will also include a conversation between Tony Kettle, Karen Forbes and Lighthouse director, Nick Barley – one of a series of keynote architecture and design events being hosted by the centre.

RMJM’s design team delivering City Palace Tower is headed up by Group Design Director, Tony Kettle. A much respected architect, Tony is well known for other notable structures such as the Okhta Tower in St Petersburg, and the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland – the world’s first and only rotating boat lift.

Tony is also a former alumnus of the Edinburgh College of Art, where Karen Forbes is head of the School of Drawing and Painting. Tony approached Karen in 2003 and together they created the RMJM Award for Art and Architecture at the College. The success of the working relationships established between students of art and architecture and the outcome of their collaborations contributed to Tony inviting Karen to take part in this unusual design partnership.

The City Palace will make history in Moscow. Apart from being a completely unique feature on the city skyline, it will incorporate the most luxurious civil venue in which ordinary Moscovites can marry – the Wedding Palace. This will overturn years of austere civil marriage ceremonies and could attract international visitors to share the same experience.

At the City Palace Tower launch, previously unseen images of the Wedding Palace’s proposed interiors will be revealed. There are two wedding halls where couples can exchange their vows. Wedding parties of up to 200 guests will be able to proceed to the top-floor ballroom and enjoy breathtaking views of Red Square.

Tony and Karen focused particular attention on the context of this building within Russian culture, while addressing the many different requirements of the clients. It is part of continued development of ‘Moscow-City’, a major initiative by the Russian capital to create a central business district on a former industrial zone, three miles from the Kremlin. Therefore, to optimise City Palace Tower’s uses, apart from the Wedding Palace, the building will also function as prime office, retail and civic space, and house a museum.

Tony Kettle comments: “Our proposal for this building is deeply rooted in its place and is both a contextual response to the City of Moscow and an emotional response to the brief which included some unusual but important public functions.”

Karen Forbes said: “RMJM made a bold decision in designing a building of this significance, through a true collaboration of artist and architect. Together, we were able to unlock the real potential of the idea and create something extraordinary for Moscow.”

The ‘City Palace Moscow’ publication is being distributed exclusively through the RIBA, priced at £15.99.

This Russian tower development is due for completion in summer 2011.

City Palace Tower in Moscow – Building Information

Client: City Palace LLC Contract Value: £135m Size: 85,000 m² Year: 2005-09

City Palace Tower Moscow : information / images from RMJM Architects 240108

City Palace Tower Moscow architects : RMJM initial proposal for 118 storeys – Europe’s tallest tower Located close to Foster’s ‘tallest tower in Europe’

Russia tower architect : Norman Foster

City Palace Tower Moscow : Release from RMJM Architects Oct 2007:

The Mayor of Moscow, Mr Yuri Luzhkov, has recently given his seal of approval to a sensual 46-storey tower, designed by RMJM.

The City Palace Tower development is the latest addition to ‘Moscow-City’, a major initiative by the Russian capital to create a central business district on a former industrial zone, three miles from the Kremlin.

The ‘sexy’, organic form of the building, which was designed by RMJM in collaboration with Scottish artist Karen Forbes, mixes passion and drama with a conventional square footprint ideal for offices and other commercial uses. For client City Palace LLC, a subsidiary company of CSC INTECO and S&T Equity (Overseas) Ltd, it is the perfect mix of form and function.

Dubbed the ‘City Palace’ tower, the twisting building will provide approximately 85,000m2 of retail and leisure facilities and 85,000m2 of offices and public functions including a registry office. It is this civic use for weddings which inspired the architect-artist team for the conceptual form of the building.

The City Palace Tower building sits on a simple carved plinth containing a large retail mall and leisure facilities for the tower. The landscaped plinth will form the gateway to the City Palace Tower as well as the Moscow City Convention Centre and the Mayor’s Tower and will be broken into three distinct areas with varying levels to create a dramatic sense of arrival for each building.

Location: Moscow , Russia

Moscow Architecture Developments

Moscow Building Developments – chronological list

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Ostankino Television Tower, Moscow: Tallest free-standing structure in Europe

Okhta Tower : Russian Skyscraper

Crystal Island Tower , also designed by architects Foster + Partners

Comments for the City Palace Tower Moscow – Russian Skyscraper Building page welcome

Tony Accurso named in Italian anti-Mafia police documents

Italian police documents obtained by enquête program show possible links between accurso and mafia.

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Are the links between Tony Accurso , former Montreal construction magnate, and the Mafia stronger than what was established during his  Charbonneau Commission testimony?

Italian police documents obtained by Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enqu ê te mention a certain Anthony working for the Mafia who, according to police, could be Tony Accurso.

• PROFILE |  Who is Tony Accurso?
• Tony Accurso tells corruption inquiry how he built his empire
• Tony Accurso denies Mob links on final day of testimony

Last month, during Accurso’s testimony at the Quebec corruption inquiry, the name of Joseph Zappia came up.

Zappia is an entrepreneur who played a major role in the building of Montreal’s Olympic Village in the 1970s.

Accurso said he recognized the name, but didn’t know the man. He denied having a business relationship with Zappia.

Now Zappia lives in Rome, Italy. He was described by Italian police in 2005 as the legal front for a major money-laundering scheme operated by the Rizzuto family for the construction of the Messina Bridge.

The original project, which was cancelled in 2006 because of its apparent ties to the Mafia, would have connected Sicily to Italy’s mainland.

Zappia in 2010 was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the Messina Bridge debacle, although he won his appeal two years ago to have the verdict overturned.

Tapped telephone conversations

Documents filed by the Italian anti-Mafia police force as evidence during Zappia’s trial detailed a number of his tapped telephone calls.

In Zappia’s calls, the name of Tony Accurso is mentioned a few times.

In one of the recorded conversations from 2003, Zappia and his sister Nancy — who was close to Accurso’s father James — talk about a man named Anthony and amounts of money being funnelled to Panama.

"Now Anthony works for the Mafia. There is a Mafioso in the group," Zappia told sister Nancy on the phone.

According to preliminary checks made by Italian police, the Anthony in question was likely Tony Accurso.

Accurso was not a target of this particular investigation conducted by Italian police.

These revelations come after testimony at the Charbonneau Commission detailing repeated contact between Accurso and the Mafia.

Accurso told the corruption inquiry that he had contact with the Rizzutos and Filippo Ranieri, the Rizzuto family’s middle man who was also investigated by Italian police.

The corruption inquiry also heard that Accurso had at least two encounters with powerful Rizzuto family associate Raynald Desjardins.

Too many coincidences?

For Yves Messier, a retired criminal intelligence officer with the Sûreté du Québec, these documents help shed light on Accurso’s network and relationship with the Mafia.

Although Accurso has repeatedly denied ever having worked for the Mafia and told the corruption inquiry that the Rizzutos were only minor contacts , Messier said there are simply too many coincidences.

"We can’t just look at one event. We have to look at the totality of these events," Messier said. "For me, there are too many coincidences to say that these are minor contacts."

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Latah County Commissioner District 1 Candidate Tony Johnson

by Devin Trubey

LATAH COUNTY, ID-Tony Johnson is a fourth generation Latah County resident and currently lives in Viola.

He owns his own business Johnson Trucking and Excavation.

An area where he plans to make changes is economic growth.

“A lot of rules and regulations are in place which seems to slow the process down."

He believes easing the regulations will make the process more user friendly.

Johnson served on Moscow city council for 1994 until 2000.

He also sits on the county planning commission and curbing crime is one of his priorities

In Latah County crime is up seventeen percent since 2017.

“I’d love to see Latah County get a drug dog a lot of those crimes have been drug related and a drug I think would be a tremendous asset.”

Johnson is also a supporter of Proposition 2 the Medicaid expansion initiative.

If passed could bring around half a million dollars back to the county. He’s already envisioning ways to spend it.

‘We’d have a little wiggle room with that money and still not increase the budget so there is some working room there to possibly fund the drug dog.”