During the last forum for Jefferson County Commissioner candidates, Lorna Smith’s opponent was asked whether she would support a sales tax increase.
The PDN summarized, “Asked if they would support Peninsula Housing Authority’s plan to convert the mothballed Lincoln Building at Port Townsend High School into 40 units of affordable housing along with a sales tax increase to help pay for it, Eisenhour said she would support both so long as there was a clear plan for funding, access and management.”
I was shocked that Eisenhour immediately supported adding a new tax.
She frequently seems to go along with proposals shared during forums without question.
We need a critical thinker as county commissioner to protect the use of public funds.
We don’t need someone who rubber stamps whatever is put on the table.
While the Lincoln Building retrofit has some appeal, many concerns have been expressed in the community regarding unpredictable costs, including potential safety and seismic issues.
The PDN goes on to state, “Smith was more apprehensive, saying it likely wouldn’t be cost effective to retrofit such an old building.”
“Often it’s cheaper to start with new construction from the ground up and build something economical that’s energy efficient,” she said.
“We do need more affordable housing, but I also don’t want to put more tax burden on our citizens.”
Adding taxes in the middle of this pandemic is a terrible idea.
Lorna’ Smith’s critical thinking skills shown above motivate me to vote for her for county commissioner.
Join me and vote for Lorna Smith,
Steve Loerch
Port Townsend