Candidates Rick Hughes, Justin Paulsen and Jonathan Welch share their visions
Since May 13, 2013, San Juan County has been organized into three residency districts. Voters countywide elect a three-member county council, with one member who resides in each district. Members serve four-year staggered terms.
Primary election ballots to decide the top two candidates for the San Juan County Council District 2 (Orcas, Waldron and Blakely islands) position will be mailed on July 16 and must be returned no later than Aug. 6. To assist voters in their decision-making, Salish Current asked the three candidates answer 10 questions; responses follow (alphabetically and edited for clarity and style). [District 1 candidate interviews were posted July 15.]
What are your qualifications and why are you the best candidate to enter the general election for the county council position?
• Rick Hughes: I served as a San Juan County council member for District 2, Orcas and Waldron Island, from 2013–2020. My wife, Marlace, and I operate Ray’s Pharmacy in Eastsound and have been serving the community since 2006. I have proven experience and leadership skills necessary to help run the county and have made connections regionally, in Olympia and with the federal government that will help San Juan County in the future. I have experience with transportation, budgeting, renewable energy, housing and senior services. During the COVID pandemic, Ray’s Pharmacy provided over 5,000 COVID-19 vaccines.
• Justin Paulsen: The most important qualification for representing the citizens of San Juan County is having a deep connection to the people of our island communities. As a business owner, employer and advocate in San Juan County for more than 20 years, I have built those connections. My focus is always on community service, whether at a board level or working directly with my neighbors creating on-the-ground change. That critical foundation has afforded me the privilege of holding a locally elected position for nearly a decade, allowing me to earn the trust of the citizens I serve in our community.
• Jonathan Welch: I have been appointed or elected to local government positions over the course of the last 10 years … my longest tenure being seven years on the Inland Boatman’s Union of Pugeot Sound Board of Directors. I was on the Eastsound Planning and Review Committee during its 20-year visioning plan, something which has only recently become a reality in downtown Eastsound.
What are the three most important issues that must be addressed in the comprehensive plan update and why?
• Hughes: The top sections that need careful focus are the land use, housing and water elements of the comprehensive plan. These elements of the plan are crucial to all of the top issues that the county faces. In building more affordable housing, we need to understand where it can located, what water resources could serve that new housing, and where it is acceptable to have higher density if needed. Expanding the availability of renewable energy in the county also means we need clarity on where we can locate power generation and how it can be permitted.
• Paulsen: The top three issues to address in the comprehensive plan update are housing, transportation and climate/sustainability. That said, it’s critical to realize that all elements of the comprehensive plan are deeply interconnected. The challenge will be to examine resource capacity levels, how we are planning as a county to face those constraints and how to make decisions today that position our people and our environment for a healthy tomorrow. As we guide policy, we must be sure that the work we are doing balances the needs of ALL our residents, assuring that regulations are both consistent and equitable.
• Welch: With the current adversity between the Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan Council, and, the critical situation in San Juan Island’s Hannah Heights, #8 of Section B, elements absolutely needs reconsidering. Likewise, The FH UGA needs to be updated with current water provisions based on new permit parameters. Water resources are more crucial, now, than ever! If the interpretation of shoreline use is being used to stall the permit process within the DCD, that, too, is something that should be addressed.
How do you define “affordable housing” and what do you propose the county can do to create more affordable housing to purchase and to rent?
• Hughes: Affordable housing is accessible housing, housing for working families with HHI up to $115,000. Both need to be available for rental and for purchase. The county needs to prioritize approval of all affordable housing projects, provide more first-time home buyer loans for homes and land, work to lower utility installation costs, and find more land for home construction. In addition, modifications to the guest house rule for affordable rentals are critical.
• Paulsen: Affordable housing meets the shelter needs of residents without compromising their ability to meet their other essential household requirements. When housing costs begin to cause food and medical insecurity, it is no longer affordable or sustainable. San Juan County must continue to approach housing solutions from multiple angles. Maintaining funding through the Affordable Housing REET and working with our established housing partners is most critical. Additionally, we must work within our building code to address and incentivize development of more affordable rental and ownership housing stock while creating access points for broader income ranges.
• Welch: Housing will never not be an issue. In the SJIs, we have billionaires pushing out millionaires. In Las Vegas, new home lots are being developed, specifically for rental communities only. The county can grant better access to REET money, and offer tax incentives and deferment for the construction of new, lower income housing spaces.
Do you think that the affordability of housing also depends on wages and is raising wages in the county a way to address affordability?
• Hughes: I would support the increase of wages in San Juan County and this will help make housing more accessible. However, there needs to be a way to build more affordable housing or make existing housing cost less. So, wage increases impact housing, but they will not solve the problem. What will be the impact on small business and will they be able to support wage increases?
• Paulsen: There is a correlation between wages and affordability that affects housing and all aspects of life. San Juan County employers are keenly aware of the struggles that wage-earners face in our community and do a good job of supporting our working class. That said, affordability is only one part of the equation. As a county we have a major shortage of housing for nearly all income levels and so long as inventory remains limited, access to housing will continue to be an issue. We must work to create new access points and incentives that open opportunities to meet the shortfall.
• Welch: The wage spectrum isn’t measured by the same assessors who have inflated the housing values in San Juan County over the last five years. And, while I am highly in favor of living wages, “two hats or two houses” has been the saying in regards to the living market within the county since before I landed 20 years ago, before the state’s minimum wage increased to $15. Wages are an issue, just not the only issue.
The county’s aging population seeks as much as possible to age in place. What would you propose are ways for the county to make that possible?
• Hughes: The county needs to help license caregivers, provide extended senior services and expand access to care. It should also find ways to create programs or facilities like Village at the Harbor and other extended care facilities, and support training programs for home-care providers and builders to add aging in place modifications to homes. The county needs to work with the Northwest Regional Council and the Opportunity Council for programmatic ideas and funding for expansive services.
• Paulsen: I believe that nearly all of us who have made San Juan County our home hope to remain here as long as possible. There are many roadblocks to that goal, but we can best position ourselves for success by creating educational and vocational opportunities for the next generation of service workers and caregivers in our communities. Housing, incentivizing training in trades and services, bolstering partnerships with our established medical and home care partners to assure continuity of care and creating viable transportation access to mainland services are all key parts of the equation.
• Welch: The longer the Washington State Ferry system continues to deteriorate its Anacortes-San Juan Island routes, the more difficult it will be for our senior population to fulfill their goal of aging in place. The county will never have a budget large enough to facilitate the medical needs of its own citizens, requiring more and more islanders to seek medical needs on the mainland.
Do you anticipate more alternative energy projects to be proposed in the county and, if so, what issues should be considered in their siting?
• Hughes: OPALCO and the community will need to continue building renewable energy infrastructure for the next 20-plus years. I personally have installed 85 kW of solar on commercial and residential structures. San Juan County needs to continue the megawatt install I started when I was in office on relevant county buildings. My preference is to deploy on developed land first, such as rooftops, parking lots, landfills, etc. San Juan County will need to define where the community wants larger-scale projects on land and sea in advance, designate zones for large-scale solar and avoid pristine land.
• Paulsen: Continued growth of renewable energy projects are necessary to offset the rising cost of mainland power and to develop some local energy resilience to protect islanders from mainland disruptions as the region decarbonizes. Current codes and land-use designation language must be examined and updated to provide appropriate and expanded opportunities for power generation on a local scale. Policy making for siting should focus on resource protection, critical infrastructure and multiuse function of land designations while maintaining island character and aesthetics. Looking beyond the land, tidal opportunities will require establishing similar ecological priorities.
• Welch: The state’s energy push to 2030 has forced OPALCO to think outside the grid. I am highly in favor of continuing alternative energy projects. The stronger the county can maintain energy independence, the less we will be dependent on Montana and Eastern Washington, and less beholden to the market prices that are about to be grid-“locked”.
Do you or do you not support the work of the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank and why?
• Hughes: I 100% support the Land Bank and the renewal of the Land Bank Charter. The Land Bank is an important conservation tool unique to San Juan County. It protects habitat, opens up access to lands for all to use and is important for the preservation of our island and culture.
• Paulsen: I wholeheartedly support the work of the Land Bank. The Land Bank and its partners have helped to secure vital pieces of our island communities which may have been lost to development. Land secured under the program provides opportunities for agriculture, recreation and resource protection which would not otherwise exist. The Land Bank REET also provides critical funding for affordable housing in the county. I support continued funding of the Land Bank so that they may build upon the work they have accomplished and properly steward the community assets that provide open public spaces for all.
• Welch: The REET is paid by the purchaser, meaning, there’s no exemption for “affordable housing.” Which, is fine right? Because, the median cost for a house in San Juan County is soaring above $500K. I absolutely support the Land Bank. However, the REET needs modifications.
What do you think is within a county council’s power to improve ferry service and what would you do with that power?
• Hughes: I have a long track record as a San Juan County Council member and FAC [Ferry Advisory Committee] member. Many of the positive changes happening at WSF were ideas that I helped create or that I fought for in Seattle and Olympia. I will work with WSF daily and work with federal and state partners to find dedicated ferry funding. I will continue to support the construction of new boats, fund the terminal upgrade in Anacortes, convert the second slip in Friday Harbor and return the Anacortes to Sidney route. We will find reliable interisland LOS and support passenger-only ferries in SJC.
• Paulsen: County council’s obligation to residents with regard to ferry service is to constantly advocate for the needs of our community. As chair of the San Juan County FAC, I understand how monumental the task is and am committed to continue pushing that rock up the hill. We cannot, however, limit our work on improving transportation to ferries. It is clear that San Juan County must start work on creating solutions for our own citizens which will increase our ability to reliably connect within and beyond our county borders — without full reliance on WSF.
• Welch: 2025 is the biannual budget year for Washington State. SJCC should be considering a full-court press in lobbying Olympia for our own ferry district which would alleviate the growing constraints WSF is facing. Simply to maintain an outdated schedule. SJCC should consider asking to stockpile parts in Anacortes instead of hauling from Eagle Harbor allowing for more efficient repair time on our aged fleet. SJCC should require an alternative, standardized schedule for when, not if, a ferry breaks down.
How efficiently and effectively is the county serving its residents with a 32-hour work week or should it return to a 40-hour work week?
• Hughes: San Juan County needs to maintain the current 32-hour work week but will need to hire additional employees to provide 40 hours of coverage for island residents. Some departments are able to provide coverage, and others are not. The county needs to be open five days a week, so an additional headcount will need to be added to help provide an increased level of service.
• Paulsen: Introducing the 32-hour work week was a creative solution to budgetary and employment obstacles. Employee satisfaction and retention are critical to successful county operations. My understanding is that there have been both positive and negative impacts on service levels and impacts to both staff and the public. Analysis of the outcomes at the one-year review period will be important in understanding how the program may need to be modified in the next employment contract period. I support the continuation of the program with consideration of operational modifications that the analysis may recommend to address any service concerns identified.
• Welch: It’s great for office staff. However, projects are taking longer, with less accountability. County employees were granted a wage increase then had hours reduced rendering said pay raise almost inexistent.
After your first complete term in office, what would be your two most important accomplishments and why?
• Hughes: A stable and functioning county government with balanced leadership, achievable budgets to provide core services to the community, a customer service mentality that treats all of the community with equity, permits that are turned around in under 12 weeks, a housed and stable workforce and a healthy and regenerative environment. Restoration and improvement of Washington State Ferry service to San Juan County residents. Service that is reliable, on time, and serves the needs of locals and visitors. San Juan County needs to provide reliable and fair service to all in the community.
• Paulsen: Reflecting on the completion of my first term in office I hope that I, and my fellow councilmembers, have a sustainable budget for the operation of San Juan County in place. In order to accomplish this, it will require a dedicated and focused effort on building productive communication and cooperation channels within county operations. Secondly, with the help of our new county manager, we will have brought leadership and stability to our county planning department so that we have the resources in place to effectively and reliably plan for and address our future critical needs like housing and sustainability.
• Welch: My friend Tony Moreno has been waiting two years for a remodeling permit. OPAL has been waiting over a year to build 10 low income housing units. Getting the DCD staffed up and operating efficiently will have been a relief to nearly every islander. Including this one! Returning to a body that puts the L in local government is one of the most important accomplishments I will strive for. And, a main reason for running. Especially with the echo chamber SJCC has become.
— By Salish Current Editorial Staff
Read more in Salish Current: “Where San Juan County District 1 candidates stand,” July 15, 2024