PORT TOWNSEND — Better communication can improve county government and change a perception that Port Townsend dominates the area, candidates for county commissioner said in a business forum Monday.
“The best thing to do for everyone in the county is to get out and become engaged and talk about the issues of mutual importance,” Dan Toepper said to the crowd of about 40 people gathered for the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce’s regular weekly meeting at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge.
“You have to get the message out as to what everyone can get along with, what we can or cannot do.”
Toepper, a nonpartisan, and Kathleen Kler, a Democrat, are vying for the District 3 county commissioner position that is being voted on countwide.
“The county’s getting older, and we need to get younger people in here.
“And that gets back to jobs and the economy, but we need to determine what the people in Jefferson County want and what they need and be open and honest in reaching those goals.”
The candidates also discussed ways to improve a perception that southern Jefferson County isn’t being given equal attention with other areas.
“The voices coming out of south county are saying they want to be heard, and they are being listened to,” Kler said.
“There is something involved with physical presence, and people from south county find that 97 percent of time, they do the traveling up to Port Townsend.
“So after a while, there is a perception that everything flows in one direction.
“Sometimes changing the menu, coming down a little to the south for a meeting, will support the idea that we are one county and we are talking to each other and listening to each other.”
The Nov. 4 general election race pits Kler, a 64-year-old Democrat and retired nurse living in Quilcene, against Toepper, 54, a retired heavy-equipment operator and Port Ludlow resident with no party preference, in a bid to succeed Democrat John Austin, who is retiring after two terms.
Job creation and family wage jobs were campaign topics addressed at Monday’s gathering.
“I don’t quite understand that there is a perception that business in Jefferson County is not welcomed,” Kler said.
“We welcome new business, innovative business, green business.
“But we need to be aggressive in finding folks, courting them and saying not only do we have a great place to live, but we have people who understand what you’re doing, and we want you here.”
Toepper said that current business owners needed to “buy in” on new entrepreneurial ventures.
“We can’t be selfish with a county this size,” Toepper said.
“The box store template isn’t going to work here.
“So people who have businesses here need to buy in and say we need another hotel, another gas station or beauty salon.
“You can’t be stingy and say ‘that cuts into my base.’
“We have to focus on getting people here and determining the services they need and where they should be; find out what we need, where we need it and what it takes to make it happen.”
Recreational marijuana was discussed at the forum as well, with Toepper saying the county has a “split mentality” about legal pot.
“This could be an economic boom or it could be a drain, so we need to find a balance,” he said.
Added Kler: “There is a lot of fear about neighborhood grows, and whenever there is fear, people react in extreme ways.
“So we need to keep the discussions going while paying as much attention to public safety as we can.”
At past forums, Kler has publicly thanked Toepper for maintaining a high level of courtesy during the campaign, a gesture Toepper acknowledged during Monday’s forum.
“Kathleen has paid me several compliments, and I’m not sure if I’ve reciprocated, so I’ll try to square that,” he said.
“Before the primary, she approached me after a forum and said ‘I hope you are the one that moves along,’ and I knew exactly what she meant.
“It wasn’t that she thought I would be the easiest to beat — she knew how I was approaching the campaign, and she later told me ‘if I weren’t running I’d be voting for you.’
“Throughout the campaign, her people have treated me with respect and I know that started with Kathleen.
“I know the community is going to be well served no matter how the campaign goes for either of us.
“It’s going to have someone taking this seat who does care about the people.”
Ballots were mailed to all voters Oct. 15 and must be postmarked or delivered to the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend 98368, by Nov. 4.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
