Voters will decide if Island County’s board of commissioners should stay under one-party rule in the Nov. 2 general election.
Dean Enell, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Republican Mike Shelton for the District 1 seat.
One of Enell’s issues is breaking the GOP lock on the three-member board.
“I like to call them three peas in a pod,” Enell said, adding that the board’s makeup limits debate during meetings. “You need a differing viewpoint up there. I think there’s a lot of people who don’t feel represented in the county.”
Shelton said it sounds like Enell hasn’t been to many commissioner meetings at the county seat in Coupeville. “This board disagrees and works through lots of issues that we flat don’t agree on,” Shelton said.
Still, few Democrats have been elected to the commission. Bill Thorn of Camano Island was the last, and he didn’t win re-election in 2002. Delmon Anderson, a north Whidbey Democrat, served two terms through 1980. And Enell said it’s been more than 40 years since a south Whidbey Democrat served on the commission.
Though two seats are up for election, only one position is in play. Incumbent commissioner William “Mac” McDowell, a Republican, is running unopposed in District 2, which represents the Oak Harbor area. Shelton has represented District 1, south of Oak Harbor, since he first won office almost 12 years ago.
Enell’s quest for Shelton’s seat isn’t a long shot. The challenger had sizable support during the primary, in which he ran unopposed. Enell almost doubled the number of votes Shelton received, and Enell picked up more total votes – 4,490 – than Shelton and his primary opponent, Reece Rose, combined.
A retired Boeing worker, Enell said he will work to protect the rural character of south Whidbey. He also said the county should do more to attract small technology-based companies to the island instead of relying on development of residential housing as a way to increase the county’s tax base.
But Shelton said it’s tougher for Island County to attract business growth than areas along the I-5 corridor.
Shelton said he also favors a balanced approach to updating the county’s growth plan. He noted Enell’s involvement with the Whidbey Environmental Action Network. While the county has been able to work with other groups to revise its growth plan, the network has battled the county in court. Most recently, the group successfully opposed a county-approved change that would have allowed urban development at Camp Casey.
Enell said the county has moved slowly when it comes to growth planning.
“Getting a comp plan done was a real tough thing to do. It took lawsuits and the threat of legal action, the threat of sanctions from the state,” he said.
Shelton, however, said the county has done well in balancing the desires of differing interests.
“It’s impossible for a county commissioner to put on his blinders and say I’m going to focus totally on property rights at the expense of the environment, or I’m going to focus totally on the environment,” Shelton said.
Looking back over his time in office, Shelton said he’s most proud of the county’s comprehensive plan, building budget reserves, the new law and justice center, and other county campus improvements – all completed without raising taxes, he said.
Commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid $67,808 a year.
Reporter Brian Kelly: 425-339-3422 or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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