Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 • A 3
Candidates put names on the line The race is on – at least for seats on the Port Townsend City Council and the Quilcene School Board. Election season can’t begin until the candidates put their names on the line – which started Monday and continues through Friday here in Jefferson County. The majority of seats on many nonpartisan boards and commissions are up for grabs in the Jefferson County primary election on Aug. 16; some candidates and races will be decided in the November general election. Candidates must file for office by Friday, June 10, with the auditor’s office at the courthouse in Port Townsend. File in person between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The auditor’s office updates candidate filing daily, http://tinyurl.com/ nhow2a. Here are the candidates from only the Jefferson County positions who put their names on the line a of 1 p.m. Tuesday: Port Townsend City Council Two of the four incumbents with their positions on the 2011 ballot filed on Monday for re-election: George Randels for Position 4 and David King for Position 6. Two newcomers filed on Tuesday for Position 3: Paul Richmond (who has been an unsuccessful candidate
this Clallam County school district.)
filed for the No. 4 at-large position. Two other positions are also on the ballot.
Incumbents Sarah Bedinger and John Bridge have filed for re-election. Incumbent Walter Johnson has two challengers so far: Richard Fleck and Stephen Rosales.
Chimacum School District David Robocker has filed for re-election. One other position is also on the ballot. Port Townsend School District
Clallam Fire District No. 3 (Residents of Gardiner in Jefferson County are part of this Clallam County fire district.)
Anne Burkart has filed for re-election. Pamela Daly has filed for one of the two other positions on the ballot.
Richard Houts has filed for re-election.
Quilcene Fire District Herb Beck, former port district commissioner, has filed for the position now occupied by appointee Debbie Randall.
Jefferson County Public Hospital District 1 (West End) Kathy Dickson has filed for re-election.
Brinnon Fire District Ron Garrison has filed for re-election. Brinnon Water District
Steve Tucker, candidate for the Port of Port Townsend’s District 1 commissioner’s seat, was the first local candidate to file for the 2011 election season. Candidates have until 4:30 p.m., Friday, June 10 to file for local school board, fire district, cemetery district, City Council and other positions. Photo by James Robinson for county prosecutor and U.S. Congress) and Pamela Adams. Laurie Medlicott is the Position 3 incumbent.
Gary Elmer has filed for reelection.
Jim Stehn has filed for reelection.
Island, Kala Point, Cape George, Center) taxpayers The council chambers contribute $1 per $1,000 were quiet Monday evening of assessed property value after Deputy Mayor George through a specific fire levy. Randels, sitting in for Mayor The city does not have a Michelle Sandoval, opened fire levy; it pays for fire serthe floor to public comment. vice out of its general fund. Following brief coun- Annexation would require cil discussion, the Port that city taxpayers pay the Townsend City Council same fire levy as the fire dismade a unanimous show trict’s rural residents. (Both of support for the city’s city and fire district resiannexation into Jefferson dents currently pay an equal County Fire District 1 (East level of emergency medical Jefferson Fire Rescue). In services levy). real terms, the council chose East Jefferson Fire to take action on the draft Rescue was created out “pre-annexation” inter-local of what once was the Port agreement at its next regu- Townsend Fire Department. lar meeting on June 20. In lieu of a fire levy, the Once the council approves city currently contributes the agreement, it goes to the $831,138 annually to EJFR district’s three fire commis- for fire services via a general sioners for acceptance. Both fund allocation. the city and the fire district Doing the math, that must agree to annexation comes out to city property before Aug. 16 in order to get owners now paying about 57 the question before city vot- cents per $1,000 of assessed ers on the Nov. 8 ballot. If it value for fire services. fails there, the question gets Annexation must equalize a second chance in February these contributions, effec2012. If voters approve, the tively increasing property annexation agreement goes taxes on city taxpayers by into effect in 2013. about 43 cents per $1,000 of Currently, Fire District 1 assessed value. (Port Hadlock, Chimacum, Also, the city has comIrondale, Marrowstone mitted to fire service half of
Incumbent Lorna Ward and Gene D. Long have both
(Residents of Gardiner in Jefferson County are part of
its share of voter-approved Proposition 1 sales tax revenue. This money, an estimated $225,000 a year, goes toward the fire district’s $320,000 capital bond debt. The city committed to paying the district’s bond as part the city’s fire service share. The difference between $225,000 and $320,000 originally was to be made up through other city sources. This city payment ends with annexation.
FIRE HALL
The agreement outlines levels of service within the city as well as non-city areas, discusses the use and location of the fire hall uptown and proposes an increase in the district’s board of commissioners from the current three to five. “What gives me comfort is that if annexation passes, whether or not it’s a fivemember board or a threemember board, there will be a board that is elected by the voters of the district and the voters of the city,” Randels said. “As an elected official, I would imagine that the voters in the city – who are really good at voting – will insist on having a say as
to what the fire department does. It will be their fire department.” Councilmember Kris Nelson raised concern over the potential location of a fire hall intended to primarily serve the city. After 20 years the district may choose to sell the existing city fire hall and relocate it. The draft agreement says that the location of the fire hall may be “in or near” the city. “I think the word ‘near’ is way too vague and, by not specifying it be within the city, causes great alarm,” Nelson said. By the end of council’s discussion, the phrase “or near” was struck from the agreement. Otherwise, all present councilors expressed support for annexation and applauded both David King and Catharine Robinson on their work with the district to produce the agreement. “Annexation was not my first choice,” Nelson said. “But, in reading through it, I think everyone did a really good job of addressing all of our concerns. Every concern we brought up is addressed and the document is put together really well.”
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Council supports fire annexation By Nicholas Johnson of the Leader
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