Jessie Stensland profiles two challengers to incumbent Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair (D-Camano Island), who is up for re-election in 2022. Former Commissioner Rick Hannold wants a rematch. He lost to St. Clair in the last election after serving one term. He said he planned on announcing his intentions...
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...
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...
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...
Island County is taking action to stop people from camping on the beach alongside the road at Ebey’s Landing. The County Commissioners were informed there has been an explosion of unregulated campers who are leaving garbage, gray water and animal feces behind on the pristine beach. A local resident told...
