||| from Margie Doyle |||
I wholeheartedly endorse Rick Hughes for San Juan County Council. In the years he has served our community as the elected legislator, he has been a workhorse for local and interconnected government.
His schedule is brutal, often involving ferry transit to other islands and to the mainland. Speaking for myself, as one who procrastinates, Hughes’ ability to meet deadlines, whether legal or self-imposed, is a spectacular model of leadership in action.
Speaking of action, though, Hughes has a well-deserved reputation for listening and researching to do what he can to serve county constituents. And his actions are heart-driven to make whatever community he’s in a better place for all. He and his wife Marlace regenerated the Friday-night skating sessions when there was so little activity for school-age children to join in; and likewise he was present at almost every Parent Night gathering in his son’s grade school years.
A family man and businessman and most of all a promoter of local citizens, he attended countless meetings, in person and group to listen and respond to islanders’ concerns; he researched and studied government documents to clarify the understanding of laws, policies and property; his efforts were unstinting to make island life more livable for so many – disabled, discriminated, pressured citizens and hardworking residents.
In my 18 years on Orcas Island I spent 10 solid years reporting and researching county government. Some of the highlights of those years were:
- Reform of the County Charter in 2012; monthly meetings of representatives from all ferry-served islands to make the government more responsive and accountable
- The 2013 outage of the CenturyLink marine cable that rendered much of the county’s communications systems inoperable for 12 days
- The recession and regrowth of county tourism from 2008 – 2015 and much of the islands’ infrastructure and taxing districts:
- Parks and Recreation
- Islands’ waste disposal systems
- Hospital (health) districts
- Ferry service
- Roads, sidewalks and highways, parking
Rick Hughes was in the middle of this and other efforts, working to make island life better and sustainable and to represent the concerns of county citizens.
As a public servant, Rick Hughes made the distinction between private personal confidential information and public, government communications. So I always trusted him as my friend. In public discourse, he may not have agreed with me, but he continued to work with me to achieve the best possible outcome within his means – he’s not an executive or a judge, but a legislator.
As such, he has gone to Olympia and to Canada to create and enable laws to keep our islands’ community ecologically sound, civically accountable and legally progressive. He has established professional and compassionate relationships with other government officials. He has changed his mind when led to conclude that a different course is better than the one he originally advocated – that’s flexibility and humility, not flip-flopping.
Let’s not squander the sound foundation Hughes has established in his eight years of community leadership. Join me to vote Rick Hughes for County Council.
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Rick gets my vote
8 years of experience dealing with different issues
You cannot replace that knowledge !
Margie, I more than second the motion!
The county is in a crisis and needs someone who, wholly familiar with the ropes, can hit the ground running. We have no margin for error. There are now 1,800 unemployed among us. Rick is fully committed to making things work. I’ve worked with Rick and appreciate his prompt effective, informed decisiveness. This is not the time to change horses.
I just saw 20 year-old Matthew give a magic show drive-in movie style. It was on Evening. What a great kid! His tour was cancelled because of Covid.
https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/orcas-island-matthew-laslo-magic-drive-in/281-06bf518e-48df-4d66-a57d-fc7955c5a57d
My experience with Rick Hughes is much different. In person he is friendly and smilie, a great person, but behind the scenes for me he has pursued his own agenda or the agenda of a select few. During the Deer Harbor Bridge meetings he disregarded the majority wishes of the Deer Harbor Plan Review Committee and a group of local residents who wanted a stop sign on the bridge to slow traffic. His exact words to me were “There will not be a stop sign. I got a phone call” I can only guess who called him as Rick has a number of anonymous backers who have great influence with him. In my appeal of my neighbors after-the-fact building permit to turn a barn into a guest house 17″ from my property line Rick allowed his attorneys to argue the false narrative that my boundary line had moved eight feet which allowed the building to be non-conforming. Rick also approved the argument that private agreements can overrule County setback regulations. Towards the end of my appeal on two successive weeks I spoke with Council for my three minutes explaining to them that their attorneys were misinforming the Courts. I was told they would look into it. The next week I got a letter signed by Rick telling me that I was banned from talking to Council about anything until my lawsuit was over. This further empowered his attorneys and even though the official County position from CDC Department Heads was that the original building permit was issued and the barn in question was built illegally too close to the property line the final word from his attorneys to the Courts was that “There is no evidence of a building permit…”
When incumbents are in power too long they do get to know the ropes but this works both ways – for good or bad. I want a Council person who will listen to the wishes of the people and act for the good of the people. Not one who will take sides and listen to anonymous callers or ignore their own Department Heads. I want a Council person who will rein in County Attorneys from unnecessary lawsuits. My appeal could have been satisfied in one hour of discussion rather than years of litigation that you citizens paid for.
I invite Margie Doyle and any current and potential Rick Hughes supporters to contact me and I will provide documentation of my statements. I will tell you my story and you can ask Rick directly as he will not talk to me about his actions. Rick is violating the County Charter for the Council position by not ‘ensuring that all actions of the County are compliant with all San Juan County codes, laws and procedures’ . I invite Rick to defend his position of ignoring the facts and his Department Head. I want a Council person who will treat every citizen equally and listen equally to all. Contrary to the slogan, listening is not leadership. Leadership is listening and doing what is right no matter who is involved.
I wonder why the commenter above doesn’t have his name on the ballot instead of Rick’s? Why he is trying to discredit Rick, rather than endorse the opponent?
Sounds like a personal vendetta to me.
I echo Bill’s comment that we not bring inexperienced leadership into the Council at this time when new decisions need to be based on knowing past actions concerning the pandemic, and other vital matters. There will already be a new council member (from San Juan).
Put your name on the ballot next time, Cindy. I’ll vote for you.
Truthfully I thought there would be more comments like the one above. It is easier to kill the messenger than accept what you do not want to hear. The facts are that I stood up for my property rights and was served two Notice of Violations, both removed in Court, to intimidate me to withdraw. When I did not this Council argued false statements in the Courts and contradicted their own Head of Department of Community Development. I do not see Rick responding to these facts as the Charter requires him to do. As I said above. I have documentation and will gladly share it with anyone. I know Margot and wonder why she did not call me directly. It is not that I am discrediting Rick, I am showing another side of him. I have met with Rick and he listened, then wrote me and told me I was banned from talking to the Council about anything rather than actually listen and look at the facts. Is this the way you want your Council persons to act? We all have had enough of dirty politics on the national scale. This is not dirty politics, this is a concerned citizen standing up for all of our property rights. During my trials I have been contacted by others who were not able to stand up or were afraid to stand up. Again I am offering Rick and any of his supporters to contact me and we can have a meaningful discussion of my case and the litigation response of our County Officials rather than dialogue response to solve disputes.
I also urge readers to keep Rick Hughes on the County Council.
Rick has been available to his constituents. He has worked hard to understand County government. He has helped our County achieve financial stability. He has lobbied in Olympia on the County’s behalf. He is influential on the Council, and will continue to be effective for Orcas.
County Councilors hold a thankless position (ask those who have served in the past). They receive calls at all hours of the day and night, and take a lot of criticism and abuse. They are the only elected local government official on most Islands, so they are the only ones we can go to with our concerns.
RIck can not agree with all of us, because we do not all agree. But he does listen, and he explains his actions. He will coach you on how our County government works, and which of our concerns the Council does not control. For example, building permits are decided by unelected employees who are purposely insulated from political pressure — yet the Council unfairly takes heat for a controversial development. Similarly, Michael Durland criticizes the Council (above) for the actions of a County attorney, and obviously doesn’t understand that County attorneys work for a Prosecutor who is (by design) independent from the Council and separately elected by us. Let’s evaluate Rick on what he can control, not what he can not.
I appreciate Cindy Wolf and Michael Durland for having run against Rick (challengers make our democracy stronger). Both are good, well intentioned people. It is no criticism of them to say that an incumbent who has done a good job has earned reelection.
Let’s say “Thank you” to Rick Hughes when we cast our ballots.
Doug,
I am not speaking out because of any personal vendetta against Rick Hughes. I am agreeing with 30 years of several different building department officials. They have difficult job and they do their best to act responsibility and professionally. I am saying that the Council did not recognize and defend the decisions of their own Department Head and allowed their attorney, without any explanation to me, to make a contrary argument before the Courts. According to the County web site one of the duties of the Prosecuting Attorney is to serve as “the County’s law firm on civil issues and lawsuits”. As the attorney for the Council on civil issues and lawsuits the Council is in charge. The Council should be directing their attorney on what lawsuits to pursue and and their attorney should be following their wishes. You say that Rick explains his actions. Great, ask him why he allowed, or instructed, his attorney to contradict his Department Head. When you find out let me know as Rick has not explained it to me.
Yes I personally have had strong disagreements with county government policies, none of which Rick Hughes was responsible for implementing or upholding. But I think your energy is wasted, Michael, on focusing your disappointment on Rick Hughes as Council representative. I have no doubt you can’t document what you’re saying but it is no justification for opposing Rick Hughes as Council member for Orcas.
No more back and forth please. You have all kinds of firepower and frustration in fighting your battles.