ELECTIONS 2024: Incumbent, newcomer, write-in vie for county commissioner

Kira Erickson reports on the elections for the Whidbey News-Times.

This election, voters will have their choice on the ballot between two Democrats with distinct approaches to local government in the contest for the District 1 county commissioner seat.

Or they could decide to write in the name of a Republican candidate who threw his hat into the ring last month.

Melanie Bacon, the incumbent for the position, earned the most votes in the primary election, with a total of 5,072. Her challenger, political newcomer Marie Shimada, received 4,396.

Dismayed to learn that neither Wanda Grone nor Steven Myres, the two Republicans on the primary ballot, received enough votes to advance to the general election, Damian Greene stepped forward to fill the void on his party’s side.

They Said It

“When I ran four years ago, I committed to people that I wouldn’t just be a one-term person,” [Bacon] said. “I would stick it out for two terms.”

Bacon believes her institutional knowledge sets her apart from the other candidates.

“Neither of the people running against me have that experience or that awareness,” she said. “They talk about things that have nothing to do with the Island County job as a commissioner.”

Shimada, a longtime South Whidbey resident, views her life as a commitment to change-making work, with some of the highlights including her co-founding of a pro bono legal clinic, serving on task forces with tribes, governments, and farmers to address habitat restoration and farmland preservation, and managing an interlocal government agency, among many other things.

Shimada said it has been frustrating not seeing current leadership work in a way that maximizes positive impact for the community. She is running as a first-time candidate to bring awareness to those who feel like they are being left out of the political narrative.

“I’m proactive, responsive, and in-touch with the lived reality of the working class in our county,” she said. “I am campaigning differently because I believe the government can be different.”

She added that she wholeheartedly believes Bacon has been a “trailblazer” for women in politics and should be thanked for her service to the community.

“I think differently and therefore bring different conversations to the table,” [Greene] said.

Greene explained that instead of purchasing the only motel in Freeland for $3.6 million (of which the Island County commissioners voted to provide $1.5 million) to be turned into low-income short-term housing, he would have discussed other options, such as spending $500,000 on seven homes throughout the county that could have been rented to mental health facilities with counselors. He said these could be funded by insurance companies, private funding or state and federal programs.

Bacon pointed to a number of things she would like to see completed in her second term, from the construction of affordable housing to the reopening of the Robinson Beach boat ramp to more progress in emergency management.

As always, the county comprehensive plan update is at the forefront of her mind. Balancing the influx of projected new residents with protections for the environment has remained a constant refrain, especially with how it will influence the Shoreline Master Program.

She’s also looking ahead to other projects, such as a new county jail.

“We need our jails to be places where people can get treatments so that when they return to the rest of the community, they’re able to be clean and function and have the mental health resources that they need,” she said, expressing concern at the number of people who have been dying of fentanyl overdoses.

Rather than naming specific areas she would focus on if elected, Shimada said the biggest issue that underscores other issues of housing, climate or public safety is that residents want leadership that is willing to take action. She’s willing to lend an ear and take that next step.

“I believe a rising tide lifts all boats, and I will use my platform to open the door for all community members to feel included and involved in local decision-making,” she said.

Other issues Greene focused on included roadway infrastructure, stormwater mitigation to reduce flooding and protect property and the cessation of what he deemed as wasteful spending.

“How nice it would be for homeowners and contractors to have two planning department counters with one for previously permitted decks and remodels and a separate counter for new construction,” he said.

He continues to take a keen interest in returning the salmon to Maxwelton Creek, referring to himself an active environmentalist.

For the past several months, Bacon has been juggling her role as county commissioner with her responsibility as the interim HR director for Island Transit, a decision which has sparked criticism from some of her constituents. She hopes the transit organization, which just posted the job this week, will be able to hire a permanent HR director in November.

If elected, Shimada said, her role as county commissioner would be her top priority and she wouldn’t hold any other employment.

Similarly, Greene plans to give up his current position if elected, believing that the job of county commissioner is deserving of his full attention and dedication.

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On The Ballot in November 2024

Island County Commissioner, District 1	Marie Shimada (D-Freeland) Melanie Bacon (D-Langley), the incumbent Damian Greene (R-Clinton), a write-in candidate
Island County Commissioner, District 2	Christina Elliott (D-Oak Harbor) Jill Johnson (R-Oak Harbor), the incumbent