STANWOOD CAMANO NEWS: Election 2022: Island County Commissioner candidates lay out visions

Izzie Lund reports:

The Island County commissioner candidates are gearing up for a tight race as the Nov. 8 election draws closer. 

Janet St. Clair, the Democratic incumbent, said she wants to continue working on issues like broadband access and climate change. Timothy Hazelo, the Republican challenger, said he seeks a future with fewer social programs and more of an emphasis on public safety.

They Said It

“I continue to work on broadband. We have a significant chunk of money coming in from the federal government, and I’m working on everything related to policy and how that money would flow,” St. Clair said. “We’re in the middle of writing a grant for Camano.” 

“On South Camano, there’s no fiber option. There’s satellite, or there’s copper or 5G or 4G, but there is no true (high-speed internet access),” St. Clair said. “(It affects people’s) ability to work remotely, for their kids to do their homework.” 

“Once we get this broadband network built out, we can have access to telehealth care, help our paramedics stay on the island,” St. Clair said. “Folks who may have to go into Everett or Seattle, they can do telehealth. It’s educational, it’s economic, it’s health equity.” 

“I still think that public safety is still tops,” [Hazelo] said. “We need more bodies, and we need more sheriffs and we need more enforcements. And my top goal is going to be to prioritize our budget so that our communities can benefit from what we do.” 

“My first meeting has to be with the sheriffs and the first responders,” Hazelo said. “‘What do you guys need? What can I do as a brand-new, out-of-the-gate commissioner to help you with that?’”

“We spend tens of thousands of dollars putting a sheriff in office and then a year later, he gets a better-paying job in Skagit or Whatcom. So Island County has been shooting themselves in the foot,” Hazelo said. “(I will) meet with all of the departments and budgeting to find where we can find money to pay our people a little better to make them stay.” 

[Referring to the 0.1% sales tax increase passed by the commissioners this year] “My goal is to give that (one) tenth back to the people and then find a way for the county to live within its means,” he said. “We’ll make up for that (one)-tenth of a percent in volume rather than just trying to squeeze the blood out of every dollar that gets spent.”