KINGSTON — Sitting at a table for four, three candidates for Kitsap County commissioner were served grilling questions concerning their candidacies.
The candidate question/answer forum, presented by the League of Women Voters at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club Tuesday, was the first following the primary election.
Both ballot contenders for the North End commissioner term Steve Bauer and Sandra LaCelle were present along with Charlotte Garrido, who is campaigning for the South Kitsap commissioner seat. Tim Matthes, currently running against Garrido, was absent.
By the looks of the crowd — less than 20 people attended — budget concerns were the No. 1 topic of choice.
“We need to limit government as much as possible and let people follow their own happiness. Government doesn’t need to dictate every corner of our lives,” said LaCelle in opening. “The budget is a big problem. The citizen advisory committees and hearing citizen ideas are important but the commissioner is the one who needs to make the hard decisions on what goes and what stays.”
Bauer, the current North End commissioner, has served the position a little more than a year since he was appointed to fill former Commissioner Chris Endresen’s unexpired term. Endresen resigned to take a post as a state director for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
Bauer, a former lieutenant commander for the U.S. Coast Guard, said he came into the position with 25 years of background working in local government and finances, which prepared him well for tackling the current budget.
“The 2008 budget hasn’t dipped into the reserves and that’s the first time in decades,” he said.
Bauer served as Bellevue’s city manager and also previously worked as the director of finance and administration for Portland, Ore.
The budget base line
Managing an ever-decreasing county budget is a tough task for commissioners as most county services are mandated by state law, said Garrido.
Garrido previously served as a county commissioner from 1997 through 2000.
“We have to prioritize our funding to meet the law,” she said.
All three took the stance that budget cuts in Kitsap’s law and justice aren’t a feasible option.
“We obviously need to look at our priorities. Law and justice is the last place we should be making cuts. We can’t allow more crime because we’ve made cuts to our officers,” said LaCelle.
LaCelle practiced law for seven years with Bishop, Cunningham and Andrews and now practices part-time at home.
“What we’re talking about is public safety. It’s not just reacting to the stuff happening, we need to prevent (crime),” Bauer said, adding communities that have programs and opportunities for its residents, particularly youth, have significantly lower crime rates.
With less money in the county pot, Garrido and LaCelle vocalized a need to get creative to provide county services.
Garrido threw out the idea for adopting park user fees or asking neighboring park communities to act as maintenance stewards to alleviate some of the pinch.
“When voters are done paying increasing taxes, creative solutions like Charlotte’s can still provide the services,” agreed LaCelle.
Bauer, however, wasn’t as optimistic.
“We need to honor what the voters want,” he said, citing last year’s 1 percent LID cap. “But the 1 percent LID really is a constraint. Compensation for health, fuel, asphalt has all gone up and we are supposed to cover with that 1 percent but we aren’t going to be able to provide the same services when the main revenue is capped at 1 percent.”
The three weighed in on the salaries of various county staff and the commissioners’ stipends.
Currently North and South Kitsap Commissioners earn $105,643 annually. The Central Kitsap Commissioner earns $107,702 annually.
“This is the biggest and hardest job I’ve ever done and it deserves a fair wage,” Bauer said.
Garrido said in her previous term as county commissioner she wanted to give raises to the workers from “the bottom up” from the lowest paid.
“It wasn’t a popular decision at the time,” she said.
With the budget crises looming, LaCelle said raises in general were not a good idea.
“The wage commissioners are earning now is a very fair wage especially with the budget crises looming out there,” LaCelle said.
Planning Kingston’s future
Wrapping up the main course of the night, Ahl asked the candidates what they want Kingston to be in five years.
Bauer cited the need for a finalized master plan, the Village Green project to be complete, and getting the senior housing development well under way. He also said it is his goal to resolve the traffic issue on State Route 104.
In agreement with Bauer, Garrido said she would like to see a passenger-only ferry running again.
“If it’s not running in five years, I want it to be there in transition,” she said.
The League of Women Voters hosts another forum on the topic of education with legislators from the 23rd District on Sept. 17 at the North Kitsap High School Auditorium.
