By Warren Cornwall
Herald Writer
Chad Minnick and Jeff Sax both say the county’s development and environmental regulations are too restrictive.
They both think the county doesn’t spend enough on law enforcement.
And both say the county hasn’t made transportation enough of a priority.
But the opponents for the Republican spot in the race for the county council’s District 5 seat disagree over who is better qualified to hold the office.
The 39-year-old Sax said his experience in private industry and work on the board of a church-affiliated private school have given him valuable experience.
Who would voters prefer to have there, a mechanical engineer with 12 years experience in the private sector or Minnick, "a marketing specialist with experience helping people get elected," Sax said.
Minnick, 28, a campaign organizer turned political and marketing consultant, said the work has helped prepare him for the work of a councilman. Sax, he said, doesn’t have the benefit of that experience.
"I think I understand some things about government and governing," he said.
Minnick has made law enforcement his top issue. He said the sheriff’s department is so understaffed the county needs to hire at least 47 and as many as 100 deputies to boost the existing 224 deputies.
Sheriff Rick Bart and the deputies’ union in recent months have pressured the county executive and council to significantly boost their ranks.
"I believe we need to fully fund the sheriff’s office, get going on the transportation fixes and then whatever’s left over allot to other services," he said.
Sax has focussed his attention on transportation and excessive government regulation.
He said the county hasn’t effectively spent tax dollars and fees to repair and expand the road system, and has slowed projects with excessive environmental regulations.
His beliefs, Sax said, have been shaped partly by a three-year-battle with the county planning department. He and his father-in-law recently got permission to put two homes on 10 acres after a prolonged battle with county officials, Sax said. He said he would hold county planning officials to a tight standard.
That dissatisfaction with current development regulation includes several high-profile issues. Sax said he would scrap new county limits on part of the code governing a type of development once popular with builders. The county should instead make its reforms through a single overhaul of the development code, he said.
And he would support doing away with the state’s Growth Management Act, the cornerstone of current planning efforts. That act, he said, has been implemented in a way that punishes rural residents by focussing better services on urban centers.
"It’s designed to get people to move into the city. That’s the whole goal behind it," he said.
Sax has a big advantage over Minnick in fund-raising, which can play an important role in a race between candidates unknown to the public. He has raised more than $24,000 to Minnick’s $3,700, according to state campaign finance reports.
Sax has also won the financial backing of both the state Republican party and the building industry. Minnick said he missed out on such backing because he entered the race late.
The winner will likely face Democratic incumbent Dave Somers, and Libertarian candidate Don Polson in the general election Nov. 6. They have no primary opponents, though each must earn at least 1 percent of the vote to advance.
You can call Herald Writer Warren Cornwall at 425-339-3463 or send e-mail to cornwall@heraldnet.com.
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