Orcas Island’s election forum heated up with questions pointed at the sheriff and state representative candidates last week.
When asked what Sheriff Rob Nou is doing wrong, his challenger Ron Krebs, an eight-year veteran of the force, responded: “There is a morale problem in the department and it affects every aspect of our job. Reports are not time in a timely manner and communication is a problem.”
Nou countered that the department’s new electronic filing system has created a learning curve for staff.
The exchange was one of many contentious moments between the two candidates at the League of Women Voters election forum on Oct. 8. The general election is Nov. 4 and ballots will be mailed out Oct. 14.
Krebs promised to bring together island communities, provide leadership and improve communication if he is elected sheriff. He also vowed to hold town hall meetings on all three major islands on a regular basis.
Nou outlined his accomplishments over the past four years: preserving jobs and avoiding department budget cuts; providing consistent training to staff; upgrading technology; receiving grants; and continuing work with prevention programs.
Audience members voiced concern about officer coverage issues on Orcas and Lopez. Nou agreed there are staffing challenges. Krebs said, “San Juan Island has deputies to lend. If it means I have to get out from behind my desk and cover a shift, I will.”
In regards to cracking down on substance abuse, Nou said it’s a long process to establish a pattern and get probable cause for a search warrant to enter a rumored “drug house.”
Krebs said he advocates “sitting in front of the house” and putting pressure on the occupants until they decide to move on to a new location.
“Drug use is a problem that will be around for another thousand years but that doesn’t mean we ignore it,” he said.
State representative candidates
Incumbent State Representative Kristine Lytton, D-Anacortes, is vying against San Juan Island’s Daniel Miller, Jr., Republican Party challenger, in the 40th District legislative race.
Lytton said she “loves all her children equally” in regards to the many counties in her district.
“I work for the 147,000 people in my district but the entire state’s economies are inter-related,” she said.
Miller said his primary interests, if elected, are ferries, commerce and freedom and liberty. When asked by an audience member to explain what “freedom and liberty” means, he responded: “If you don’t know, I can’t explain it.”
County candidates
The outcome of the November election will also determine who will manage three county offices for the next four years. The treasurer’s race pits two candidates making a first-ever bid for public office, Tony Fyrqvist and Rhonda Pederson, while two-term incumbent Joan White faces political newcomer Nancy Vejvoda in the non-partisan contest for clerk of the court (the position oversees business affairs of superior and juvenile courts).
Orcas School levy
The Orcas Island School District is updating, modernizing and expanding its facilities to meet the current and future needs of students. The school board has determined that current funds are insufficient to implement these projects and voter approval of a levy for six years is being requested. The levy is for 2015 through 2020 to provide $500,000 for each of the six years for a total of three million dollars. The tax rate is expected to be 23 cents or less per $1,000 assessed value.
Proposition 1 – levy lid lift
Proposition 1 would replace the 2009 property tax levy lid lift that is going to expire in 2015. The renewal would end in 2020 and will produce the same amount of revenue as the current levy.The levy is 18 cents per $1,000 assessed value. The amount generated is 20 percent of the county’s general fund property tax.
The money will go towards senior services on all three major islands; WSU Extension programs; operation of county parks; support for county fair; public health services on all three islands; work release program; victim services; emergency management services; maintenance of county buildings and grounds; Islands’ Oil Spill Association equipment assistance.
County manager Mike Thomas said, “Things have gotten better but not so much that we don’t need this levy renewed. This is a continuation of what we have today. The average homeowner would pay $5 to $7 per month for the levy.”
Nick Jones, a business owner from Lopez Island, spoke against the levy renewal.
“I voted yes for this six years ago. The question is not whether or not we value government resources, it’s about government budget growth,” he said. “Yes the dollar amount per person is not huge but it’s cumulative for families … when do we stop?”
Jones called for “systemic changes” to a government structure that was set up in the early 1990s when commerce and building were booming in the county. He said San Juan County’s budget and expenditures are much higher than other rural communities.
Thomas countered that higher cost of living in the San Juans makes that kind of comparison inaccurate. He also noted state funding for specific programs or projects that makes the overall budget look larger than it is.
