Political forums in Port Townsend, Chimacum and Marrowstone Island this week will give voters a chance meet candidates in the Nov. 2 election and ask questions.
There is also a special forum for Port Townsend voters on a proposed city property tax hike.
Ballots will be mailed Wednesday to the thousands of Jefferson County voters who registered as permanent absentees.
There will also be voting at neighborhood polls on Nov. 2.
Mail-in ballots must be deposited in a voter dropbox at the Jefferson County courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, by 8 p.m. Nov. 2, or postmarked on or before that date.
The Peninsula Daily News will publish a comprehensive voter’s guide this coming Sunday, Oct. 17.
It will cover all the candidates and issues in Jefferson County — plus information on all the state races and the initiatives.
Monday, Oct. 18, is the last day a resident can register at the county Auditor’s Office to vote in the general election.
These political forums — open to any member of the public — are upcoming:
Port Townsend
* TONIGHT: Jefferson County Courthouse, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Each candidate will make a five minute introductory statement, then will answer questions from the audience.
Candidates will also make a one-minute closing statement.
* 7 p.m. to about 8 p.m.: county commissioner candidates:
Position 1 — incumbent Republican Dan Titterness and his challenger, Democrat Phil Johnson.
Position 2 — incumbent Republican Glen Huntingford and his Democratic opponent, David Sullivan.
All four candidates will appear together so that questions can be addressed by all four.
* 8:15 to about 9 p.m.: Incumbent state Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, and his Democratic opponent, Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim.
Buck is seeking his sixth two-year term in the state House as one of the two representatives for the 24th District (Jefferson and Clallam and most of Grays Harbor County).
The district’s other representative, Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, is running unopposed in the Nov. 2 election.
Van De Wege, a Democrat and political newcomer, is a firefighter and paramedic with Clallam County Fire District No. 3.
Tonight’s forum is sponsored by weekly Leader newspaper and American Association of University Women.
PTTV will tape and broadcast the forum.
City tax forum in PT
* TUESDAY: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Port Townsend city officials will hold an informational forum to discuss its property tax levy ballot measure, believed to the largest tax increase ever proposed in the city.
Voters will be asked to approve a property tax increase of $1 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the city tax rate, taking the rate from $1.95 to $2.95 in 2005.
This means the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would pay an additional $200 a year.
City Manager David Timmons will outline the current budget situation and explain the reasons behind the City Council’s proposal to increase the property tax.
The city faces a projected budget deficit of $770,000 next fiscal year. If approved, the tax hike is expected to bring in about $750,000.
After Timmons’ presentation, a question-and-answer session will follow.
An original plan to accept only written questions has been shelved, and questions and comments will now be taken orally Tuesday night.
City Council members, prohibited by state law from advocating for or against a measure at official forums, will comprise a quorum, but this will not be a council meeting.
If Prop. 1 fails, the City Council has passed a resolution to cut park maintenance ($200,000) and eliminate pool funding ($135,000), recreation ($90,000 to the Jefferson County YMCA), two new firefighter and one police position ($220,000) and its contributions to nonprofit groups (including city funding of the Jefferson County Economic Development Council, Main Street and the Boiler Room teen center).
It takes 50 percent of the voters plus one to pass the tax increase.
Chimacum
THURSDAY: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Chimacum Grange, Chimacum Grange, 9521 Rhody Drive.
This will have the same format as Monday’s forum in Port Townsend (above), with the four county commissioner candidates going first, then Buck and Van De Wege.
Marrowstone Island
FRIDAY: “Candidate’s Night,” 7 p.m., Nordland Garden Club, 320 Garden Club Road, Marrowstone Island.
Each of the four county commissioner candidates will make a five-minute opening statement, followed by a three-minute rebuttal, then each candidate will answer written questions from the audience.
The candidates will have two minutes to answer each question.
Each candidate will also be allowed to ask one question of his opponent. The opponent will have two minutes to respond.
The forum will be moderated by John Brewer, editor and publisher of the Peninsula Daily News.
Democrats’ rally
In addition, Jefferson County Democrats will host “Rally for the Future” at Jefferson County Memorial Field in downtown Port Townsend from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature the two Democratic candidates for county commissioner, Van De Wege and other Democratic candidates for state offices.
It is also a rally to show support for presidential candidate John Kerry.
