Latest Headlines from Island County

In a story by Jessie Stensland, she reports that the Island County Commissioners are going to hold a public meeting on January 18 for discussion on a proposed sales tax increase of on-tenth of 1%. The increase would raise approximately $1.2 million per year to construct, purchase, maintain and operate...

Jessie Stensland reports: Island County commissioners hired Connie Bowers to replace Bill Oakes as the county public works director and county engineer. Bowers worked with Oakes for 13 years, first as a traffic engineer and then as the assistant county engineer. Bowers will earn $130,000 a year. They Said It:...

Karina Andrew reports: The Port of Coupeville was recently awarded almost $5 million from the Washington State Public Works Board to expand broadband internet access in Central Whidbey. Expansion of fiber optics infrastructure is expected to help level inequities in education, business and healthcare as households that have long been...

Both candidates who underwent the interview process to become Island County’s first county administrator have declined to take the job. Commissioner Jill Johnson said the commissioners are “disappointed” but that “it can be difficult to recruit people to work in the county.” She went on to say that “the idea...

For the first time ever, Island County will soon have a County Administrator. This person will run the daily operations of Island County departments that the commissioners directly operate and supervise. The departments the County Administrator will run are those who do not have a publicly elected head which include...

The owners of Bells Farm have been fighting with the Island County Public Health Department which is requiring them to purchase a retail food establishment permit to continue operating their self-serve Honesty farmstand. The Bells Farm owners argue that their farmstand does not fall within the definition of a retail...

Langley City Councilmember Thomas Gill wrote a letter to the editor about the Island County Commissioners’ grant of $70,000 to the Low Income Housing Institute for “predevelopment costs” to convert a Freeland hotel into low-income housing. The letter was published in the South Whidbey Record on Wed., Nov. 3. They...

The Port of Coupeville commissioners passed a motion to encourage Island County to purchase the Oak Harbor airport that came on the market this year with a price tag of $2.1 million. Port Commissioner John Mishasek said of the motion, “I think it leaves the door open to go any...

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) wrote a “Sound Off” column for the Whidbey News-Times expressing her concern over the reduction of service on the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route. The column appeared in the paper’s Oct. 27 edition. They Said It Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon: I am genuinely concerned about...

Island County Commissioners have approved a grant of $70k to the Low Income Housing Institute that will go towards “predevelopment costs” associated with the Institute’s proposal to purchase the Harbor Inn in Freeland and turn it into 10 low-income units. Also, the commissioners approved asking the Washington state Housing Trust...