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 the new year but ended up doing it earlier because residents kept urging him to run.
Tim Hazelo, the chairman of the Island County Republican Party, filed for the position with the Public Disclosure Commission in May of this year. He ran against U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen in 2020 and lost.
St. Clair said she plans on making a formal announcement that she’s running again in January.
They Said It
[Former Commissioner (and 2022 candidate) Rick] Hannold said he opposes the proposed one-tenth of 1% sales tax for affordable housing. He said taxes add up, especially regressive taxes, and many in the community are already struggling, especially with inflation spiking.
[Current Commissioner Janet] St. Clair expressed hesitancy about imposing the tax; she said during a meeting that she has concerns about a lack of transparency in the way it was introduced to the community and also in the fact that the board can pass the levy without it going on the ballot.
[County Republican Chairman (and 2022 candidate) Tim] Hazelo: however, said he’s OK with the tax, especially since he feels government policy at some level contributed to the lack of affordable housing. “If we do this though it needs to be watched and monitored at every level,” he said. “We can’t do what government always does letting a large percentage of this just disappear into the oblivion of government and then keep going back to the well for more.”
[County Commissioner Jill] Johnson, a Republican, has been the most vocal in supporting the tax as a way to confront the issue residents and politicians have long said it the biggest challenge facing the county.
[County] Commissioner Melanie Bacon, a Democrat, also has spoken in support of the tax.
On the Ballot August 2022
- Island County Commissioner, District 3: Janet St. Clair (D-Camano Island), incumbent, vs Rick Hannold (R-Oak Harbor) vs. Tim Hazelo (R-Oak Harbor).
