Island County Candidate Forum

July 7, 2026

Legislative District 10 State Representatives

Candidates Attending:

Position 1:

Clyde Shavers (I) (Democrat)

Position 2:

Dave Paul (I) (Democrat) Tim Hazelo (Republican)

Island County Auditor

Candidates Attending:

(Independent) Andrea Downs (Democrat) Barbara Fuller (Democrat)

Island County Candidate Forum

July 14, 2026

Island County Assessor

Candidates Attending:

Kelly Mauck (I) (No Party Preference)

Island County Sheriff

Candidates Attending:

Rick Felici (I) (Independent) Tavier Wasser (Democrat)

Island County Clerk

Candidates Attending:

Toni Adams (Republican) Dierdre Butler (Democrat) Maria Hazelo (Republican) Amber Sewell (Democrat)

• The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, July 20, 2026; video recording here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/e85589c0-7647-4053-a70d-21e67feacdaa.
  • No public comment was offered during the meeting.
  • We held a public hearing on amending the Island County Code associated with Risk Management. There was no public comment. The code change passed 2 – 1; I voted against it, but that was due to a procedural disagreement and not because I didn’t support the code change.
  • The agenda for the Board meeting for Tuesday, July 28 is here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/004e8f6b-b003-4223-aac4-71df1ee18408. It will be a short meeting because there are no regular items or public hearings on the agenda.
• Budget Workshop: the first 2027 Budget Workshop will be held on Tuesday afternoon, July 28 at 1 pm. Agenda: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-1a7b7e868d7e852e1adb73a258d8abbf. To any County Commissioner candidates reading this: I strongly encourage you to listen in to the budget workshops, either live or via the recordings which will be made available here under the Regular and Special Sessions tab: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter. When Commissioner Johnson and I retire at the end of 2028, our replacements will be looking to the District 3 Commissioner to carry the heavy lift in the summer of 2029 for the 2030 budget.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
  • Tuesday, August 4:       McConnell (franchise)  
  • Tuesday, August 4:       Lone Lake (franchise)             
  • Tuesday, August 4:       Summerland (franchise)  
  • Tuesday, August 4:       TIP/CIP          
  • Tuesday, August 11:     2026 Budget Amendment             
  • Tuesday, August 18:     Madrona Annex (franchise)             
  • Tuesday, August 18:     Sunset Water (franchise)             
  • Tuesday, August 18:     Wildarama (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Carolyn Graves (franchise)             
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Groseclose (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Solvang (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Mt. Wenatchee (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Crawford (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Hudock (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Cary (franchise)
  • Tuesday, August 25:     Witham (franchise)                       
  • Tuesday, Sept 1:           Shoreline Master Program                           
• There was no work session this week nor will there be one next week. The next Work Session will be held on Wednesday, August 5^th. The agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday July 31 here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter.
• The Board of Health (BOH) met Tuesday afternoon. Agenda here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-0821750b6d028dcaf19b3b448db2f4b3; recording here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15690/Board-of-Health-July-2026-Video-Recording.
  • We received three public comments, one in favor of the Public Health Strategic Plan; two opposed to the BOH taking action against leaf kratom.
  • We will be sending out a letter to retailers asking them to voluntarily remove kratom and 7-OH products from their shelves. You can find this letter on page 5 of the agenda, recording at mark 0:11:11 in the agenda.
  • We reviewed a summary of the findings from the Healthy Youth Survey. Page 7 of the agenda; mark 0:46:50 in the recording. The positive findings from the survey: our kids are feeling more hopeful, safer, and are using marijuana less than the survey showed in recent past years.
  • We received a presentation on Public Health’s Strategic Vision. Page 8 in the agenda; mark 1:06:06 in the recording.
  • We also heard a presentation on Public Health’s budget overview for 2027. Page 35 in the agenda, mark 1:26:18 in the recording. Our cost of providing public health services aligns with our peer counties—we spend around $89 per person on public health per year—and since the benefits from public health spending are around 4 times the spend amount, that equates to a value to our citizens of around $348 per resident each year. You can find some examples of how this money is spent on page 45 of the agenda. Unfortunately, 2027 will see a cut of $450,000 in the funding Island County receives from the State for public health.
  • BOH members received a copy of the 2025 – 2030 Community Health Improvement Plan. You can download your own copy here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/1070/Community-Health-Assessments-and-Improve – docaccess-5b75032ddc8e3931945f24489abb83bb.
• The Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization met on Wednesday July 22. Agenda: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-a3e4fee086e2c747747889428c9ee4e1, recording: islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15694/07222026-IRTPO-Audio.
  • We are working to complete our Human Services Transportation Plan update. Flyer here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/1163/Human-Services-Transportation-Plan – docaccess-437685e11d423c10326b13e3c1ce4dfe. The purpose of an HSTP is to enhance access and mobility for individuals who cannot transport themselves due to physical or mental limitations, income, or age. It identifies gaps, barriers, and unmet needs in human services transportation and provides strategies to improve safety, accessibility, and the overall user experience for people with special transportation needs. Having an HSTP at the County makes various agencies (like Island Transit) eligible to get certain funding from the State.
  • Over the next three weeks we will be reaching out to citizens to get their input on ways we should improve our HSTP for 2027 to meet their needs. Below are three surveys to help you help us; we’d like to receive your feedback by August 14.
  • Survey for users and caregivers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Usersandcaregivers
  • Survey for service providers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ICServiceProviders
  • Community discussion website: https://islandcountyhstp.com/
• Last night I attended the preview show of Island Shakespeare Festival’s newest season. This year they’re doing Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, and Macbeth. https://www.islandshakespearefest.org/. I saw Robin Hood and had a great time—lots of romance and swashbuckling. What I especially admire about ISF: they bring in talent from all over the world to act on their outdoor stage—yet they have a Pay-What-You-Will model for ticket sales.
• Public Health Update:
  • Public Meetings for Island County’s Pollution Identification & Correction (PIC) Program: Join the Island County PIC Program in discussing the important work underway in our community to improve water quality and reopen shellfish harvesting beds.
  • Maple Grove Watershed. Wednesday, August 5^th 5 – 7 pm, Camano Convergence Room 121 N East Camano Drive.
  • South Holmes Harbor Watershed. Thursday, August 6^th 5 – 7 pm, Bayview Community Hall 5642 Bayview Road
  • Maxwelton Watershed. Wednesday, August 12^th 5 – 7 pm, Bayview Community Hall 5642 Bayview Road
  • Learn more about the PIC program here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/997/Island-County-Pollution-Identification-a
• Island Transit news: https://www.islandtransit.org/
• Island Senior Resources news: https://senior-resources.org/.
• Clinton Community Council news: https://clintoncommunitycouncil.org/. Next meeting: Monday July 27, 6 pm. Guest speaker: Emelia Harris, Island Senior Resources Community Engagement Manager and Council board member.
• On Monday, July 27, I will return to my usual community meeting schedule. I will be at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland at 3 pm and at the Clinton Community Hall at 5 pm. I invite you to come by and talk with me and other interested community members about County issues.

Melanie

The only time I ever played Shakespeare, fifty-four years ago, I was Titania at my high school’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the LA County Fair in Pomona. My acting wasn’t anything special, but I had great hair and wore a beautiful dress. I thought about that last night as I drove past the Whidbey Island Fair to see the first night performance of Island Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 season. Summertime on Whidbey: we have it all.

The Island County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 10:00 am to receive testimony on the Island County Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations. This hearing is being held as part of the legislative action to complete the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update. Following the public testimony, the Board adopted the comprehensive plan.

Final documents are available on our website: www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan. Questions about the Comprehensive Plan should be directed to compplan@islandcountywa.gov.

https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan

We are transitioning our website documents to a new format to make them all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, and like most new software implementations we’re finding a few glitches. So if you encounter wonkiness with some of our links for a while (I found two just this morning) please be patient with us while we work this out.

• The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, May 5, 2026; video recording here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/742573bd-7eeb-4e0f-8a28-b2661f9d7d1c.
  • There was no public comment this week.
  • We held two sewer franchise public hearings; both franchises were approved.
  • The agenda for the Tuesday May 12 meeting is here:  https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/0a0802e4-30c2-4397-b3ee-a491e150d9e4. On that agenda: the two franchise public hearings shown below.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
  • Tuesday, May 5:         St. Peter Franchise  
  • Tuesday, May 5:         Hellum Franchise  
  • Tuesday, May 12:       Curbside Recycling
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Procurement   
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Amending Record of Proceedings code
  • Tuesday, June 2:        SE Camano Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Olympic Marine Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Higgins Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Private/commercial dog kennels
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Potentially dangerous dogs
• The agenda for the Wednesday May 6 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-40c6752ab804bc1b9d8dc968c49a719e; the recording is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14670/05062026-WS-Audio.
  • We had a robust conversation and presentation about the proposed new Jail, beginning at mark 0:1:54 in the recording. The presentation begins on page 5 of the agenda; in this presentation we talked about the issues driving this project and the timeline for next steps.
  • The second part of the jail conversation was a discussion on the selection of the site. We opted to not move forward with the resolution proposed (which selected a specific site); instead we tasked the Facilities Director to work with a jail consultant to perform a comparative validation of the three sites to ensure the County fully understands the known variables, risks, and cost implications before committing to a site.
  • The scheduled Human Services presentation was tabled for a future date.
  • The agenda for the Wednesday May 13 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132026-1170. On that agenda: a discussion on the final drafts of the Island County 2025 Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations, and discussion of budget status, revenue concerns, and Commissioner goals and direction for the 2027 Budget Process.
• On Wednesday the Board also interviewed applicants for interim Superior Court Clerk. We appointed Michelle Schisler who served as the final Deputy Clerk under Debra Van Pelt. Ms. Schisler is not running for the office in the upcoming election, which we feel will provide the office with consistency for the next five months while also placing all of the candidates on an equal footing for the voters. The interviews can be heard here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14669/05062026-Clerk-Interviews-Audio; one of the candidates scheduled was unable to be interviewed due to a family emergency.
• Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update:   After two years of in-depth work, this month the Planning Commission will finish their involvement in the development of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan. The Board is very grateful to everyone who served on this essential board during this time. Here is a link to the Planning Commission page:  https://www.islandcountywa.gov/235/Planning-Commission. You can find details on their meetings and minutes, including Zoom info, here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/Planning-Commission-4. The agendas are published at least a week in advance. They intend to hold three Planning Commission meetings in May as shown below, in the Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville:
  • The final draft Comprehensive Plan is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan.
  • Wednesday May 13 – Workshop @ 6 PM (this replaces the usual first-Wednesday meeting in order to give the Planning Commission and public sufficient time to review the final draft Comp Plan)
  • Wednesday May 20 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM
  • Wednesday May 27 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM
• Island Transit news: https://www.islandtransit.org/
  • Island Transit Executive Director Melinda Adams was featured in the People Forward Leadership Podcast, where she spoke about Driving Culture Change: Trust, Growth, and the Power of People:  https://www.carolparkerwalsh.com/podcasts/the-people-forward-leadership-podcast/episodes/2149094287.
• Island Senior Resources news: https://senior-resources.org/.
  • Benefit Dinner and Auction, Sunday May 31, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Golf Tournament, Monday, June 1, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Island Senior Resources is actively recruiting for a full-time Executive Director. You can find details on the position here: https://www.facebook.com/prothmanco or here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prothmanco.
• Message from WSDOT: SR 20 to close for three nights starting Monday, May 11, for roundabout paving near Oak Harbor
  • OAK HARBOR – Eastbound and westbound State Route 20 will close for three nights beginning Monday, May 11, at West Fakkema Road north of Oak Harbor.
  • These closures will allow contractors working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to remove and replace pavement at the new SR 20 compact roundabout at West Fakkema Road. The project was suspended over the winter.
  • What to expect:
  • From 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly Monday, May 11, through Thursday morning, May 14, both directions of SR 20 will close between Regatta Drive and Ault Field Road.
  • People traveling through the area should use one of the following detours:
    • Eastbound and westbound SR 20 travelers should use West Ault Field and Goldie roads.
    • Local traffic on the east side of SR 20 should use Sleeper and West Crescent Harbor roads.
  • Some of the work requires dry and warm weather and may need to be rescheduled.
  • The new roundabout was designed to slow vehicle speeds near the intersection, calm traffic and help create easier decisions for drivers. The project is expected to finish in June, when crews return to install permanent striping.
• I will meet with interested citizens at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland at 3 pm on each Monday through the month of May.

Melanie

Today is National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which recognizes the significant contributions, support, and sacrifices made by the spouses of the men and women in the Armed Forces. 

“The resilience of our families…and our children…is absolutely what has allowed us to do things that we’ve asked our force to do. The strength of our U.S. Armed Forces, the strength of our nation is in…our military families.”   ~ General Joseph Dunford, retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff