Marina Blatt reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting of Tue., Feb. 3, 2026 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
Summary by Perplexity AI
Oak Harbor City Council approved a nepotism policy governing appointments to city boards, commissions and committees after months of sometimes tense discussion centered on Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Carrie Stucky, who is married to Councilmember Bryan Stucky. The ordinance prohibits relatives of elected officials from serving as board chairs, bars councilmembers from serving on the same board as a relative, and prevents officials from voting on or appointing relatives to the salary or civil service commissions. Supporters argued the rules prevent favoritism and the appearance of impropriety, while critics said the process singled out a dedicated volunteer and could discourage future applicants.
They Said It
Carrie Stucky was disheartened to be the subject of conversation.
“The way this process has played out has been quite hurtful and confusing,” she told the News-Times. “The words and actions of a specific council member have created an uncomfortable environment for me and several others. While I don’t want to speculate on intentions, in my opinion the timing and tone of this situation seems to have sent a discouraging message to the public.”
She emphasized that the council members must remain conscious of how their actions impact others, and she encouraged them to continue to spread kindness among their community.
“I support the city council in creating common sense checks and balances. I think the policy they ultimately ended up adopting is fair without being overly restrictive,” she noted.
Both Carrie and Bryan Stucky said they were in favor of the policy that was ultimately adopted and Bryan Stucky voted in favor of the motion.
North Whidbey Pool, Park and Rec Commissioner Brit Kraner was critical of how the conversations among council members played out in January. In a public comment that was presented at the Feb. 3 council meeting, she wrote about her distaste for criticism targeted at Carrie Stucky.
“I feel compelled to speak out about how the January 20th meeting unfolded. I left that meeting feeling deeply troubled, not just by the outcome, but by the process, the tone and the message it sent to those who step forward to serve this community,” she wrote. “I have worked with Ms. Carrie Stucky on multiple occasions regarding parks and recreation. She is, without exaggeration, a rare force. The passion, dedication and persistence she brings to this work cannot be manufactured or bought. Volunteers like her are the backbone or our civic institutions.”
She went on to describe the situation as “revolting,” saying Carrie Stucky was placed in an unfair position and that it sends a “chilling message” to future volunteers, while noting there is no shortage of vacant volunteer seats.
“While Commissioner Stucky and Councilmember Stucky are married, the implication, spoken or unspoken, that her work is somehow invalidated or suspect because of that relationship is appalling,” Kraner said.
Councilmember Sandi Peterson was a strong voice in the decision.
“This body has refrained from taking a stand on the issue of recusal concerning items brought to the council by committees of their family members,” she said. “This one step would avoid the very appearance of impropriety.”
Councilmember James Marrow emphatically agreed with Peterson.
“Thank you for saying it for us,” he said.
