by Lin McNulty
Forum moderator Margie Doyle
An estimated 150 eager islanders spilled over into the hallway at the Orcas Senior Center on Wednesday night to hear what our candidates vying for the upcoming County Council positions have to say about hot-button issues. Not surprisingly, the recently-passed Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) seemed to be foremost in most minds.
The 2013 Candidates Forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of the San Juans and hosted by LWV board member Margie Doyle. The LWV does not endorse candidates.
Following a three-minute introduction by each candidate, a question was posed by the moderator to each of them. The questions were then opened to members of the audience who each had one minute in which to ask a question of the candidates, with each panel member being held to a two-minute response. The evening flowed smoothly, with time being effectively monitored by Jill Johnson.
Orcas Candidates—Greg Ayers, Lisa Byers, and Rick Hughes
Orcas Candidates (l to r)—Rick Hughes, Lisa Byers, and Greg Ayers.
The first question posed by moderator Doyle to the Orcas Island candidates was regarding their requirements for the position of County Manager. Byers says there is a definite division between the County Manager and the County Council—the first being administrative and the latter legislative. She would like the position to be filled locally. Hughes stated the position should be filled by someone from a rural county, and not from a big city. Ayers sees the position as being a peer to the Council, with the County Manager setting goals and communicating top-level ideas down to the employee level.
The recently approved CAO brought the first question from the audience, with the three Orcas candidates seeming to agree that it is still a work in progress. Rick Hughes sees it as a starting point and Byers noted that it will require flexibility and refinement. Ayers stated he views the Ordinance as a failure in process, that it has some rough edges and will need some work to implement it.
Do the candidates consider it effective to outsource services? All three candidates replied there is no easy one-size-fits-all answer to that. Hughes cited the private contractor for Olga dock repairs. Ayers pointed out that the county is not always the service provider, but is the manager, and is not always the do-all answer. Byers sees the answer in being a good steward of county funds.
Where is the county going to get revenue to accomplish new goals? Byers says we need to be efficient with what we have, communicate with the community, and to obtain grant money for state mandates. Hughes stressed code simplification, while Ayers stressed we are rural and need to work with the people we already have and to look at possibilities to export island goods.
Economic development or environmental development—which is the priority? Governance, says Hughes, is about doing both. Ayers acknowledges it is a delicate trade-off and we need to continue to work together so it looks the way we want it to look. We absolutely need both, says Byers, and suggests we always look at local solutions where possible.
San Juan Island Candidates—Mark Forlenza, Bob Jarman, and Lovel Pratt
San Juan Candidates (l to r)—Bob Jarman, Lovel Pratt, and Mark Forlenza.
Back to the CAO, Doyle asked the San Juan candidates which sections of the CAO they feel need priority attention. Forlenza said we should first look at the non-comformity issues. Pratt supports the Council’s action to approve the CAO so that it more clearly reflects where we are. Jarman opined that the CAO got out of hand with thousands of dollars in outside input.
Why have an advisory committee when nobody listens? Pratt allowed there is scarce staff support for committees and we need to reinstate a liaison between committees and the Council. Forlenza acknowledged the advisory committees need to be pared down and Jarman noted that committees need specific input for what is expected of them.
How do we ensure we get the best bang for our buck? Professional development, Pratt says. Volunteerism, says Forlenza. Prioritizing, says Jarman.
Because there is no plan on the part of the State of Washington to increase ferry capacity for the islands, Jarman says we need to stay visible with the ferry advisory committee and to continue to state our case. Pratt says we need to keep working with the State to recognize that the ferry system is our marine highway, and to work to change the “Build Washington” requirement. “Build Washington,” says Forlenza caused the State to pay $150m for a ferry that Staten Island got for $8m because of federal funds.
The clear winner emerging from this information-packed forum was the audience.
Primary Elections will be held on February 12. Two candidates from each island will then proceed to the General Election. Currently, there are only two candidates from Lopez Island who will then move on to the next step.
NOTE: Voters will select one Council Member from each island in this upcoming county-wide vote.
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I’d like to see an article posted by each of our candidates about their platforms and positions here at Orcas Issues before the primary election.
My wife and I were lucky enough to get chairs at this event! It was encouraging to see such an outpouring of public participation. The audience was excited, the candidates were engaged, and the range of topics were satisfying. Thank you to all who attended!
Orcas Island, you ROCK when it comes to civic engagement! However, I was concerned to see so many folks leave after the District 2 candidates spoke. Were people kindly making room for the standing-room-only crowd or is it still not widely understood that under the new charter amendments we all vote for someone from each district?