WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Primary to winnow commissioner candidates

Jessie Stensland reports:

The three candidates for the District 3 position will be narrowed to two.

Commissioner Janet St. Clair, a Democrat, is seeking reelection after her first term. A former nonprofit administrator and social worker, St. Clair is a self-described policy wonk who dives deep into subjects when advocating for issues like broadband internet for underserved areas, behavioral health for youth, climate goals and affordable housing.

Rick Hannold, a retired Navy petty officer, is a former county commissioner who says his knowledge of government will allow him to hit the ground running. A Republican, he positions himself as a moderate and said his priorities are to bring the county budget back under control, ease regulations that increase the cost of housing and provide collaborative leadership.

Tim Hazelo is the chairman of the Island County Republican Party, a former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and a former flight engineer in the Navy and the Navy Reserves. While he admits to lacking knowledge about some aspects of county government, he said he’s a quick learner and a good listener with unbounded energy. He was endorsed by the county Republican party.

They Said It

[Tim] Hazelo said he plans to keep his job as a simulator computer operator with a company that contracts with the Navy if he wins the election, although commissioners say the $100,000-a-year position is a full-time job.

[Rick] Hannold admits to making mistakes in his campaign that may cost him. He doesn’t appear in the voter’s pamphlet for the primary election. He said he sent his statement to elections officials and got an email in response, but he admits that he may be at fault.

[Janet] St. Clair said she was hesitant about the affordable housing sales tax, which was a 0.1% sales tax that the board adopted in March. She said she didn’t feel that the tax needed to be adopted right away, especially with all the AARPA funds and the rise of inflation. But she voted for it, she said, when it was clear that the other two commissioners were going to adopt it.