PORT ANGELES — Jim McEntire will be the first to tell you: He’s no good at staying retired.
The Clallam County commissioner from Sequim is stepping down after four years representing the eastern third of the county and 46 years of service to his country.
A retired Coast Guard captain and a former Port of Port Angeles commissioner, McEntire, 65, plans to remain on the North Olympic Peninsula with his wife, Sherry, in his so-called retirement.
“The only thing I can say with any certainty is I will once again fail in staying retired,” McEntire said at the Clallam Transit board meeting on Dec. 21.
“I have no idea when and how that failure will occur.”
Sequim Food Bank Director Mark Ozias defeated McEntire 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent in the general election last month.
Ozias will be sworn in as the District 1 commissioner at 9 a.m. today in Clallam County Superior Court.
Standing ovation
McEntire received a standing ovation for his public service at his final commissioners meeting last Tuesday.
Commissioner Mike Chapman, who often disagreed with McEntire on key county issues, presented a proclamation recognizing his colleague for his “tenacity, decisiveness and general good humor.”
“Commissioner McEntire has already twice retired and often joked as staff was leaving or retired that quote he hoped they were more successful in retirement than he has been,” Chapman said.
“So we are hoping that the third time is the charm for Commissioner McEntire, though I’ll put an editorial in that I highly doubt it.”
Thanks many
In his closing remarks, McEntire thanked his country and the citizens of Clallam County for the opportunity to serve.
He also thanked colleagues past and present and all the public servants in county government.
“County government wouldn’t exist without you,” McEntire said of the employees.
“We commissioners get up here and talk about stuff, but we don’t do the work that you do. I really appreciate the job the county government has done for our citizens for the last four years.”
With fellow Republican Commissioner Bill Peach in office, McEntire this year chaired the first Republican-majority board of Clallam County commissioners since 1997.
He also represented Clallam and nearly two dozen timber counties on the influential state Board of Natural Resources.
During his term as a commissioner, McEntire worked with the state Department of Ecology to improve the controversial Dungeness Water Rule and helped shepherd the Carlsborg sewer project, which is scheduled to break ground next year.
Desire to create jobs
Behind McEntire’s policy decisions was a desire to create jobs and help the local economy.
He championed a 0.2 percent sales tax reduction and was steadfast in his commitment to disperse $1.3 million in Opportunity Fund grants to the Port of Port Angeles and city of Port Angeles for infrastructure projects.
McEntire defended the board’s procedures after Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis rejected warrants for the grants last June.
He hand-delivered a $1 million check to port officials when the warrants were eventually processed in September.
“Jim was no stranger to controversy, standing his ground on decisions about policy and expenditures from the Opportunity Fund,” according to the proclamation that Chapman read into the record Tuesday.
McEntire served in the Coast Guard for 32 years and later worked as a senior budget analyst for the federal government.
The Georgia native retired and moved to Sequim in 2006, only to become a Port of Port Angeles commissioner in 2008.
After running unsuccessfully for the state Legislature in 2010, McEntire was elected to the board of county commissioners in 2011.
In a Tuesday interview, McEntire said he has not ruled out another run at political office, but added: “I would consider that to be very, very low probability.”
McEntire said his first order of business will be to attend to a historic rifle collection that sustained damage from condensation when a leaky water heater flooded his basement.
Beyond that, McEntire is keeping his options open.
“I have had a long history in my professional life of doors opening that I didn’t even know were there,” McEntire said.
Building association
Kevin Russell, president of the North Peninsula Building Association, presented McEntire with a plaque Dec. 15 in recognition of his “service to our community and service to our association.”
Francisco de la Cruz of Blyn, who has testified at numerous board meetings about water issues in the east county, acknowledged his district’s commissioner on Tuesday.
“We wanted to make a trip out here to thank you for you efforts on our behalf,” de la Cruz told McEntire.
In addition to twice-weekly board meetings, county commissioners also serve on numerous local and regional boards and committees.
Transit
Wendy Clark-Getzin, Clallam Transit general manager, presented McEntire with a plaque in recognition of his service on the Transit board.
“Jim’s been so supportive of Transit,” Clark-Getzin said Dec. 21.
“Whether it’s keeping the buses rolling down the road, or finding that federal funding that we need out of the highway trust fund, he’s always been there for us.
“And I just really respect your words of wisdom and your Southern parables that you throw in once in a while,” Clark-Getzin added.
“I can’t help myself,” McEntire replied.
Before striking the gavel to close his last commissioners’ meeting, McEntire repeated past predictions that “some how, some way, some time, I’m going to fail yet again at staying retired.”
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like, or when that will happen, but I’m pretty confident that that prediction will come true,” McEntire said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
