PORT ANGELES — Democrat Jack Dwyer, a candidate for 24th Legislative District, said Tuesday he has changed his mind a second time and has decided to remain on the Montesano School Board if he’s elected to retiring state Rep. Lynne Kessler’s Position 2 seat.
“If there is a conflict of interest, I will definitely resign, but at the moment there does not appear to be,” Dwyer said Tuesday, adding other School Board members he spoke with agreed.
Dwyer, Montesano chiropractor, is running against Democrat Steve Tharinger of Sequim, a Clallam County commissioner; Republican Jim McEntire of Port Angeles, a Port of Port Angeles commissioner and a retired Coast Guard captain; and Larry Carter of Port Ludlow, a retired Navy master chief petty officer.
Ballots were mailed last Wednesday for the Aug. 17 primary. The top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliations advance to the Nov. 2 general election.
Dwyer’s decisions
Dwyer told the Peninsula Daily News on May 28 he had planned at first to stay on the School Board — an unpaid, elected position — but was swayed to change his mind by McEntire, who has said he would resign his paid position on the port commission.
McEntire had said representing legislative voters in the district — which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County — at the same time he represents all Clallam County voters as a port commissioner would be “like I am serving two masters.”
Dwyer had agreed.
“I would just put out there very clearly that when I win the position in the House of Representatives, I would resign from the School Board and ask the School Board members to appoint someone in my place,” Dwyer had said.
“I see there would be some conflict between a local School Board issue versus state issues.
“There would be an appearance of a potential conflict of interest. I would have a higher responsibility as a [state] House of Representatives member.”
Not serving 2 masters
On Tuesday, Dwyer said that after subsequently talking with School Board members, he had switched back to his original position — that being on the School Board should not be a problem.
“I do not think it would be like serving two masters,” Dwyer said.
“When I am making decisions at the House of Representative level, it’s for all of the state,” he added.
“My responsibilities at the state level are much larger than my smaller responsibilities on the School Board.”
Tharinger
At recent voter forums in Grays Harbor, Port Townsend and Sequim, Dwyer and Carter have accused Democratic candidate Steve Tharinger of Sequim of being a “double dipper” because Tharinger has said he would stay on as Clallam County commissioner should he win the Position 2 seat.
If he does win, he could earn a combined $105,608 a year — $63,502 as commissioner and $42,106 as a part-time legislator in Olympia three months a year.
Tharinger has since said he would take leave without pay from his commissioner position during the legislative session — meaning that he would not receive $10,526 during the session — and would attend weekly commissioner meetings by phone.
“I think the issue really is about who has the most experience and best experience to be a good legislator,” Tharinger said Tuesday, pointing to himself as that person.
“Counties are agents of the state,” Tharinger said.
“There are lots of issues you deal with as a county commissioner that are derived from legislative work. I would be doing the constituents’ work,” he added.
“It’s the voters and citizens who are being serviced.
“They are the master in both instances. There is one master, which is the citizen and the voter.”
McEntire: Consistent
McEntire said Tuesday his own position has been consistent ever since he became a candidate: He will resign if elected.
Staying on as port commissioner “would present the potential conflicts of interest of the port district and the interests of the 24th District at large,” McEntire said.
“For me, the wisest course is to resign my office.”
Carter said he didn’t take issue with Dwyer staying on the School Board.
“That’s tantamount to me continuing to be a member of a service organization or something of that nature,” Carter said.
“I do not have an issue with an unpaid position. Being a county commissioner is a totally different ball game.
“When he is a state rep for over two counties, there is no doubt there will be a conflict of interest. If there is a conflict [with Dwyer] with the School Board, I would think it wouldn’t be significant.”
________
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
