||| FROM JENNIFER SWANSON, CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 |||
During the course of my campaign for County Council, I have had countless conversations with people across the islands and have learned a great deal about their concerns. These conversations have given form to how I will, as councilmember, approach the budget.
In April, 60.67% of San Juan County voters rejected the county’s levy lid lift. The message was clear: residents are not looking to pay more in property taxes. The Council is now working to balance the 2027 budget by cutting roughly $3.7 million, and 2028 will likely bring harder choices.
Voters had various reasons for saying no. Many felt the campaign didn’t explain the levy clearly enough. Others are cutting their own household budgets as groceries, fuel, and health insurance climb, and some have lost their health coverage altogether.
The county is under the same financial pressure. Inflation and the rising cost of doing business are directly impacting the Current Expense Fund. Unfunded mandates from the state are adding to the county’s responsibilities, and federal and state cuts are reducing funding at the local level. Meanwhile, the county can only raise regular property tax revenue by 1% a year without voter approval.
As a candidate for County Council, my responsibility is protecting what the state requires the county to provide and being honest about what we can’t afford. If elected, I will:
- Protect core mandated services that are funded from the current expense budget, such as: courts and justice, law enforcement, elections, and health services for our most vulnerable.
- Prioritize the services the state does not require that matter most to our community: senior services, environmental conservation and protection, county parks, agriculture, and code revisions that will help increase affordable housing development.
As a former school board member, I spent 11 years managing public agency budgets. Being fiscally prudent meant not only passing a balanced budget each year but also being focused on the financial health of our schools for years to come.
For 2028, I will look for alternative ways the county can increase revenue while working to keep services consistent and professional to build stability for the future.
This is not the time to expand county services, and voters deserve a candidate who will say so plainly. I will not promise what the county can’t deliver. I will work to live within our means, and I will be open with you about the choices ahead.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
Leave A Comment