CHIMACUM — The Jefferson County commission is out of touch with voters because it does not represent the average county voter.
So said three Republican candidates seeking election to the currently all-Democrat board.
“There has been no constructive discussion by the county commissioners for eight years since the Democrats have been in control,” said former Port Townsend mayor Geoff Masci, 64, who is running for the District 1 seat held by Phil Johnson, 66, of Port Townsend.
“Everything they have done has been about balancing the checkbook,” Masci added.
About 40 people attended the Thursday night forum sponsored by the Jefferson County Republican Party.
Candidates Dan Youra, 67, of Port Hadlock and Tim Thomas, 41, of Irondale spoke in addition to Masci.
“Two of the commissioners have been in for eight years and the other for six years,” Youra said.
“It’s a three-headed monolith that’s running this place.”
Youra and Thomas are both seeking the District 2 seat held by David Sullivan, 60, of Port Hadlock.
District 2 includes Cape George, Port Hadlock and Marrowstone Island.
Johnson, Sullivan and District 3 Commissioner John Austin are all Democrats.
The annual salary for a county commissioner is $63,925 in 2012.
One of the three candidates in the District 2 contest will be eliminated in the Aug. 7 primary, with the top two vote-getters competing in the Nov. 6 general election.
The District 1 contest between Masci and Johnson will be decided in the general election.
Masci and Youra are both well-known in Jefferson County. Masci is a former Port Townsend mayor and councilman, and Youra has been involved in Jefferson County issues since 1975, he said.
Thomas, who owns Bernt Ericsen Excavating, hopes to increase his name recognition.
“I am not going to make promises I can’t keep, which seems to be the example for people in politics,” he said.
“The commissioners rubber-stamp these feel-good programs that have no benefit, and we pay the price.”
Thomas said he has worked with county government as part of his job as an excavator.
“I’ve been involved with a lot of land issues where I’ve had to step in on behalf of the landowner and fight the county,” Thomas said.
“It’s become very anti-growth, and without the growth, without the families, I don’t see a positive outlet for our county, and there is a lot of fiscal mismanagement on the county’s part.”
Youra said the key to economic development is tourism.
Youra, who runs a public relations firm, Dan Youra Studios, which prints travel guides and maps, said his experience in that sphere can bring results.
Youra said that he would change the time and place of the regular commissioner meetings, which are Mondays at 9 a.m. in the Jefferson County Courthouse in Port Townsend.
“There should be more meetings outside of Port Townsend out in the county,” Youra said.
“They now have the public open part of their meetings from 9 to 9:30, and that isn’t a time when business people can attend because they are taking care of their business.
“I would meet at different times, maybe on the weekends, maybe at 7 in the morning so we could have more community involvement with the commissioners.”
Masci pointed to his experience on the Port Townsend City Council and as mayor. He pointed to his sense of humor as qualification for public office.
“It’s been boring for the last four years,” said Masci, who left the Port Townsend City Council in 2008 after being elected in 1999.
“I haven’t been around to shake everything up.”
Masci served as Port Townsend’s mayor from 2000 to 2002.
He said the commissioners haven’t supported the county’s departments, cutting staff and making the employees work harder and less efficiently.
He also voiced opinions that don’t follow the Republican party line.
“I may end up sounding like a Democrat here but I’m going to say it: This is a beautiful county, and we have to preserve what we have,” Masci said.
“There is a very small portion of the county, something like 6 percent, that is in private hands, and we have to be careful that we don’t ruin that 6 percent that we have in the palm of our hands.”
Thomas and Masci both said it was important to prepare the county for the next generation of citizens.
“Watching my son getting ready for his graduation, thinking about the opportunities that he’s going to have, I didn’t see any,” Thomas said.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do here. There aren’t the jobs there were when I was young. If you work in a drive-in, you won’t make enough to raise a family.
“I want to make this a better place for all the people that live here, and when I get older, I want to retire here.”
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
