My commitment to You: Your voice is crucial in county government matters. I will dedicate my total effort to representing you, not a legacy or special interests. County Commissioner is a full-time job and should be treated as such. I will be your voice in county government and advocate for Chelan County in Olympia.
The Chelan/Manson area is a priority, and I am committed to having consistent office hours in the valley to ensure your concerns are heard and addressed.
Budgeting & Taxes: “We need to live within our means” Like your household budget, the county’s cost of doing business continues to climb. We must prioritize how and where we spend your tax dollars. Multiple proposals for increasing taxes are floating around. It is not the time to ask for more from you. We must live within our means, just like your budget.
Olympia keeps passing down unfunded mandates to county governments. Instead of providing funding, they propose allowing counties to increase property taxes to pay these mandates. This isn’t the solution. If Olympia is going to force counties to improve programs, Olympia needs to provide the money to do so.
Land Use, Development, and Housing: “We need a plan that doesn’t comprise our community values.” A core function of county government is land use planning. While much of this is dictated by the state from the Growth Management Act, Counties still play a role in implementing this law. The land in Chelan County is 87% publicly owned. There are only a few areas of private land in unincorporated Chelan County that we will see development in. However, we can work with the towns within the county and our partners in Douglas County to plan where development can occur and encourage building there.
Housing affordability isn’t a unique issue in our area. We see it across the state and in much of the country. While we can do little to change interest rates and the cost of building homes, we can ensure our policies and regulations aren’t part of the problem. We need clear rules that property owners and builders can rely on to plan and budget around.
Transportation: “Fund the projects that our community needs, not ones that some want.” We have multiple needs in the 3rd district and minimal local dollars to address them. Tragic traffic accidents highlight why we need Highway 150 and 97a safety improvements. We continue to see traffic fatalities and need to press WSDOT and Olympia to improve these highways.
The cost for the Confluence Parkway project, initially budgeted for $150 million, has increased by at least $50 million. If we can not afford it, which it appears we can’t, we should request that the funds be used to address more pressing needs in the county.
Agriculture and Farming: "Support the backbone of our economy. Let's not make it harder to farm than it already is." We are seeing more and or farms going under each year. Markets are difficult and state regulations make it hard for our farmers to be competitive in a world economy. So what can Chelan County do? First, ensure our rules and regulations aren’t making it more difficult to farm. Second, advocate for our farmers when we speak to folks in Olympia and the state legislature. We can be their biggest champions.
Public Safety & Crime: “Provide support for our LEOs and a path to recovery for addicts.” Property crime and graffiti are more common than ever. Homelessness and open public drug use can’t continue to be ignored. The state has provided $20 million for a drug rehab center to replace our aging facility. We need to site and build this facility NOW to give those in the throes of addiction a choice. Either go to treatment or jail.
Our jail needs severe repairs. It is also not designed to meet the needs of an increasingly drug-addicted population. Some investments have been made, but we need to do more. Our community needs to discuss what a repair looks like, what about a new facility, and how we pay for these things.
Our LEOs need to be supported and allowed to do their job. However, we don’t have unlimited funds. We must prioritize our staffing while continuing to be good fiscal stewards of our tax dollars.