As 2013 comes to an end, it’s a time to reflect on the past year in Kitsap County and the people who have given so much to this county.
Kitsap County Commissioner Josh Brown is one of them. Brown started his political career as a young 20-something looking to be the first Democrat in a long time to be elected to the county commission from the Central Kitsap area.
Brown door-belled, and although new to politics, was elected in 2006. He announced recently that he had accepted a position as executive director of the Puget Sound Regional Council and will vacate his commission seat Dec. 31.
While his time on office has not been without controversy, he’s served his district well. His work has led to good things in the county, one of them being the creation of the county campus in Silverdale, the home of the YMCA.
One of this last actions while in office has been to sign an agreement that will set up the campus to house a community performing arts theater and possibly a larger library to serve Silverdale.
Another person to be congratulated on his service is Tim Thomson, who leaves the Port of Bremerton after 14 years, the last two as chief executive officer. Thomson is leaving public service, retiring to spend more time with his family.
To his credit, after some rocky years, the port’s future looks good. The occupancy rate at both of its marinas in Bremerton and Port Orchard is good. The industrial and business park near the airport is attracting new tenants at a good rate. And the airport is being marketed successfully to businesses and hobbyist pilots as a place that can meet their needs.
While Thomson also faced criticism about spending cuts and layoffs, his work has placed the port in a better position to move forward in 2014.
Among the others we need to thank are those who have served on Bremerton City Council. While both were defeated in the past election, Adam Brockus and Nick Wofford have given a lot to the city through their years on the Bremerton City Council. We hope to see them stay active in the community. Also leaving the council are Carol Arends, Jim McDonald, Wendy Priest and Faye Flemister. They, too, deserve our thanks.
It’s easy to be critical of those who serve in government at any level, from our local park, water and fire district boards to the office of the President of the United States. Anyone who serves in public office knows that comes with the job.
But those who serve do so because of a genuine desire that they want to make their community a better place to live and work and enjoy. We thank them for their service and we wish them well.
