WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Commissioner candidates discuss COVID, LIHI, RVs

Kira Erickson reports from the Old Goats’ Luncheon on Fri., Aug. 19, 2022.

Candidates Janet St. Clair and Tim Hazelo were invited to speak at the August meeting of the Old Goats — Fully Informed Voters, a conservative and libertarian discussion group led by South Whidbey residents Rufus and Reece Rose. Rufus serves as the moderator of the group’s lunch events, methodically passing around a microphone for attendees to ask their questions one at a time.

They Said It

Rather than picking a side, St. Clair said she encourages people to vote for their values.

Ever chock-full of colorful anecdotes, Hazelo shared a story about a “little old lady” he met while knocking on doors who agreed with everything he said but when she found out he was a Republican, she refused to vote for him.

…the COVID-19 pandemic became a hot topic.

Hazelo advocated for listening to doctors and allowing a “diversity of treatments.” He announced that he himself resisted getting the vaccine.

St. Clair, on the other hand, spoke about “following the science” and said research has shown that wearing a mask prevents transmission of the virus.

The candidates also discussed another hot topic – the county’s recent decision to provide matching funds for the Low Income Housing Institute, known as LIHI, to purchase the only motel in Freeland and turn it into bridge and supportive housing.

“I had a problem with that particular project because of the process,” St. Clair said, adding that in her opinion, not being able to do a feasibility study of the project before the allocation of money is a “backwards process.”

Hazelo agreed that St. Clair “hit the nail on the head” about the process, but disagreed with the county’s decision.

“I think this was a rushed project. I think we screamed into it at lightning speed,” he said. “We didn’t have answers, we didn’t even know what questions to ask.”

The candidates also discussed another hot topic – the county’s recent decision to provide matching funds for the Low Income Housing Institute, known as LIHI, to purchase the only motel in Freeland and turn it into bridge and supportive housing.

“I had a problem with that particular project because of the process,” St. Clair said, adding that in her opinion, not being able to do a feasibility study of the project before the allocation of money is a “backwards process.”

Hazelo agreed that St. Clair “hit the nail on the head” about the process, but disagreed with the county’s decision.

“I think this was a rushed project. I think we screamed into it at lightning speed,” he said. “We didn’t have answers, we didn’t even know what questions to ask.”