Letter to the Editor: Ghazel’s Ability to Work with Others Invaluable

I encourage your support of Tony Ghazel for re-election to the Orcas Island School Board. During Tony’s time on the Board, he has helped lead our district from such an unstable and opaque financial situation that the state was threatening to take over management, to the point today where we have a reserve fund and transparent and responsible budgeting.

That process was not easy – it required listening carefully to the needs of many parties, and thoughtfully negotiating a way forward. Tony does his homework, comes with creative ideas and energy, and honestly considers the opinions of others – these qualities lead him to reach reasonable compromise solutions with other school board members that let us get the work of the district done.

Tony understands the difference between governance (the Board’s function) and daily management (the Superintendent’s function), and does not fall into the sticky trap of trying to micromanage the activities and operation of the school. Further, he is well-versed in the requirements of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act, and how to effectively participate in meetings that have to be run according to these rules, seemingly-inefficient and formal though they may appear at times. His experience with getting government to function is invaluable to our community.

Let’s re-elect Tony, and retain his experience, wisdom, and proven ability to work with others.

Brian Ehrmantraut