https://www.facebook.com/122162447480192159/posts/122160343736192159
Wanda Grone (R-Langley), candidate for Island County Commissioner, District 1, posted this on her Facebook page on .
Second forum of the day in Clinton, hosted by Clinton Community Council – all four Island County Commissioner District #1 candidates. Attendance and community engagement was overwhelming – SO GREAT to see the public interested in local government and representation.
Questions submitted to the panel mainly centered around community planning issues, the possibility of future growth on South Whidbey, affordable housing, the need for infrastructure to support all of those things, water quality and saltwater intrusion, and balancing conservation of natural resources and family farms against the need for expanded developable land for those who cannot afford home ownership in the $$ million plus range. As a candidate, I would like to understand how the public feels about this balance and what is considered to be a priority for the future of Whidbey and Camano Islands.
Another question raised was the topic of employee unions at the County and how they were negotiated. As County Treasurer, most of my employees were represented by Local 1845. I am not satisfied with the lack of merit incentive provisions and opportunity for career path planning in these contracts. Many represented employees are hired at just about $20/hour with little or no incentive to remain at the County for any length of time. Benefits are generous but do they help pay for groceries and rent? Turnover is still high – 50% in some departments . . this has to be addressed and I have some ideas about how that can be accomplished.
On The Ballot in August 2024
| Island County Commissioner, District 1 | Marie Shimada (D-Freeland) Melanie Bacon (D-Langley), the incumbent Steven Myres (R-Freeland) Wanda Grone (R-Langley) |
| Island County Commissioner, District 2 | Phil Collier (R-Oak Harbor) Christina Elliott (D-Oak Harbor) Jill Johnson (R-Oak Harbor), the incumbent |
[Editorial Policy: The Voter Interests Project is a non-partisan organization. Part of our mission is to keep voters informed about the activities of elected officials and candidates for public office. We do not endorse or support any particular candidates; therefore, we omit all email links and donation links from candidate communications to supporters. If you are interested in supporting a candidate, we recommend you contact the candidate or their campaign directly.]
