Three running to serve on Pacific County Commission

Published 6:46 pm Monday, July 15, 2024

LONG BEACH PENINSULA — A field of three vying for a seat on the Pacific County Commission will be whittled down to two during the Aug. 6 primary election, with ballots arriving in voters’ mailboxes later this week.

David Tobin, running as a Democrat, is a Long Beach resident who was appointed to the peninsula-based seat on the commission in January 2023 and won election later that year to serve out the remainder of the term. Tobin, 68, was the longtime principal of Ilwaco High School until his retirement in 2022. He currently chairs the Long Beach Planning Commission and serves as a volunteer EMT with Pacific County Fire District No. 1.

He is joined on the ballot by a pair of challengers, including Ocean Park resident Rita Hall, running as a Republican. Hall, 74, retired to the peninsula in 2018 and has previously worked as a certified nursing assistant, ran a family rental business in Florida with her late husband, Gary, and has managed several businesses and developed retail stores. She has also served as a Girl Scouts leader and has spoken before the Montana State Legislature on issues such as water and property rights.

Also running is David Anderson, a Long Beach resident running as an independent. Anderson, 59, moved to the peninsula during the covid-19 pandemic and owns and operates the Coastal Class Crepes food truck with his wife, Jessica. He previously had stints as the public works director for both Long Beach and Pacific County, was a senior public works manager for Hennepin County in Minnesota and also ran several small businesses.

All three candidates agreed to participate in a questionnaire with the Observer. Their full written answers, which have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity, can be seen below.

Chinook Observer: Why are you running to serve on the Pacific County Commission, and what makes you qualified?

David Tobin: I come to this position with no specific agenda. Instead, I am running to best serve, and make a positive difference for the people of my district specifically, and all of the people of the county, generally.

I’ve lived in Pacific County for 16 years. I’ve grown to love the area and its people. I want to continue to give back to those who have given me so much as the best possible steward of our county’s resources and by making our home a better place for all.

Rita Hall: Running for county commissioner wasn’t in my personal plans, yet when several concerned Pacific County citizens knocked on my door asking me to run for office (after I had been praying and praying that the right people would step up to serve), I knew my own shoulder was being tapped and I should run, which isn’t a small matter.

Although relatively new here (2018), as some people quickly point out, I’m not new to standing up for our freedoms, defending the little guy against government overreach, and managing businesses. Much involvement with county advisory boards, my own property rights issues, volunteerism, public speaking (much at state legislature), union negotiations, and even CNA work with elderly has prepared me for this. I chose Ocean Park for my forever home, not elsewhere. Like anywhere, it’s not perfect. What’s wrong concerns us all, and that’s why I’m running, to address those things in ways this position would allow.

David Anderson: I am running because my past experiences and education in life have brought me to a place to do a very complicated unsung job well and because I have the heart to do it. I care about our home, Pacific County. I care about preserving our wild wonders while making the county a better place to live for us and more hospitable to our visitors, too.

Commissioner success requires prioritizing what is important, envisioning what’s coming, and wisely allocating our county’s limited human and financial resources. That’s a tough balancing act requiring vision and action.

I am a man of both. As a small business owner in Minnesota, I won an award from City Business/Twin Cities for being one of the top 40 business people in the state under 40 years old in the entrepreneurship category. Twenty years later, my wife and I are business entrepreneurs again in Long Beach winning top 3’s for best lunch and best dessert!

There are lots of problems to solve and lots of opportunities to seize. My experience and track record demonstrates that I am built to do this job well for you and for our county.

CO: What is one critical issue facing the county, particularly in District No. 2? How, as one of three commissioners, would you try and go about addressing it if elected?

DT: Critical issues include: Public safety, accessible housing, mental health and substance use disorder prevention/treatment, and finances.

I believe that everyone has a voice, and that every voice matters. I believe that all these voices, together, provide the input necessary to make the best decisions and create positive outcomes.

I have many years of experience in administration. I am accessible. I am committed to listening, and to being reflective, and responsive. I practice looking at all sides of an issue. I care about, and understand, our people and I know how powerful we can be when we work together.

Additionally, while serving for the past year-and-a-half we have developed a cohesive BOCC who work well together, respectfully discuss differences and work hard to make decisions that are in the best interests of the majority of people who are affected.

RH: Druggies and crime. Support your local police and the county sheriff. Encourage citizen input and community watchdog groups. Promote better collaboration between departments (sheriff, local police, state patrol, medical staff including unfamiliar travelers, firefighters, mental health teams, etc.) and effective ways to communicate. More funding for patrols. Let’s keep crisis teams from walking into situations blind.

DA: Many people do not know what a commissioner is, much less what they do. Three county commissioners make decisions that directly impact all 24,000 of us in Pacific County. They spend every penny of your $50 million tax dollars… about $2,000 for each of us. They decide whether your money goes to: roads, housing, environment, parks, needy families, mental health, law enforcement, etc.

Wouldn’t you like to know how these decisions are being made and who is voting for what?

I would! That’s why I will create a quarterly newsletter, in plain English, communicating the issues, votes, debates and decisions of the previous three months and highlighting what is coming down the pike. Then you can better weigh in on what’s important to you.

Commissioners are supposed to listen to all the people they represent. My hope is that this newsletter creates a forum so all voices are heard. Not just a few loud voices.

The essence of good government is transparency. We do not have that now; I will change this.

CO: With the county budget under some strain, what services or departments would you prioritize if elected?

DT: First, our job as county commissioners is to fund the entire county and all its departments. Every office has its role and all are important. For example, every cent that comes into our county goes through the treasurer’s office. The auditor’s office conducts our elections and keeps track of our finances. And, our sheriff’s office works to maintain public safety.

Therefore, we must take a responsible look at the wants/needs of each department and the funds we have to work with. We must listen to, and reflect on, the needs of each department while considering the interests of the people and begin to target the ideal of maintaining a balanced budget.

My priorities include public safety and first responders, accessible housing, education, mental health and the opioid crisis, and preserving our special way of life and beautiful natural environment we enjoy as residents of Pacific County.

RH: Sheriff’s department.

DA: My plan if you elect me is to ask each department head to create two lists: (1) Top twenty county (not state) specific regulations that are frivolous and unneeded; (2) Top twenty county (not state) specific regulations that are unenforceable with current staffing. Where those two lists match, I will work with my peers to eliminate those regulations.

This will accomplish a couple things. (1) It will make the county more business-friendly and more job-friendly. Small business is the lifeblood of our communities. (2) It will also free up talented county staff to work on real opportunities rather than “checking boxes.”

I also plan to look at underutilized county assets such as: the dilapidated Morehead Park, land near South Bend on the Willapa River, closed-for-camping Chinook County Park, and other vacant sites to figure out ways to make them revenue generators for the county rather than sitting idle.

My initial focus would be making government more supportive and efficient to us and our businesses. Simultaneously, let’s make the county money by fixing and utilizing our county assets.

CO: There is an acute shortage of affordable housing for Pacific County’s working population, especially on the peninsula. What role do you believe the commissioners and county government should play in addressing this issue?

DT: The commissioners are responsible to support all the departments responsible for addressing this housing shortage. One thing that we were able to do was to pass a .01 housing sales tax. The way this tax is structured has approximately half of its cost paid by visitors while local residents are not significantly impacted. The tax will allow Pacific County to provide significant funding to help with housing.

RH: It’s a multi-faceted situation, a catch-22. Rights belong to the wrong people. Landlords fear renters from hell, for good reasons. If the renter stops paying rent, it takes months to evict and get the renters removed, and chances are the rental will be trashed. Squatters have protection by law. Property owners don’t, basically, so property owners are afraid to rent all too often. Laws to protect property owners along with laws for the prompt removal of squatters could help. Counties could collaborate with other counties and take it to the state level for correction for justification.

Rents are high nationwide, and especially in tourist areas. Good jobs are elsewhere, not here, generally. Good online jobs need better internet, also. Our tourist season is short. Many homes are in HOA zones, where second dwelling spaces are prohibited. Good workers need good housing, yet high rents rob their hopes. Let’s brainstorm the public in open meetings for possible incentive programs. Zoning changes? Tax credits? Accessory units permitted and encouraged? Employer incentives? Re-evaluate permit processes? What?

DA: A big role! I met a county resident who built an affordable housing project in Long Beach in 1981. He implied the red tape is so thick it’s almost impossible to get anything done today. We must reduce county and city red tape. There are people here that would invest in these projects. People that care.

One idea I had is utilizing unused county land as a carrot to incentivize folks who care to create affordable housing and still earn a reasonable return. Yet, this problem is national in scope, will require working with the state and federal governments and no one has solved it to date, but I intend to give it my best. This issue is crucial.

CO: With roughly half of all 911 calls in the county coming from the Ocean Park area at any given time, what can be done to improve coverage and response times from law enforcement?

DT: As commissioners, we can, and will, continue to work with the PCSO to provide the necessary resources for the department to best do their job.

I am proud that we have been able to provide the PCSO with more deputies than at any time previously in this century. We will continue to work with the Sheriff and his team given budget restraints and other needs to provide the necessary resources.

Having worked as a reserve police officer in Long Beach I know the challenges faced by law enforcement. I have always been a supporter and public safety is a priority for me while we work responsibly to fund all of the county offices/functions.

I will continue to work closely with the Surfside Safety and Security Committee to help them meet the needs of their community. I am willing to work with anyone else on the peninsula to listen to their concerns and do our best to meet their needs as well.

RH: 911 calls are significantly more important than any other call; educate and penalize bogus callers. Train staff to analyze calls. Add more staff, partially funded with current overtime reductions.

DA: Shifting sheriff deputies from South Bend to Long Beach to support Ocean Park makes sense. If this proves unfeasible, figure out where to find resources to hire more deputies. I’d like to say this would be easy, but it’s not. Finding additional resources will be difficult. But that’s a big part of the sheriff’s job working with county commissioners.

CO: Much of the county’s economy, especially on the peninsula, revolves around tourism and recreation. How can the commissioners work with the cities and other local agencies to support new economic development opportunities?

DT: We have Lodging Tax Funding that can be used to support and encourage tourism in Pacific County. The applications for this funding will be coming out soon. Funding will be awarded in the fall.

We work with the Pacific County Economic Development Council to help with economic development in our region. Additionally, we work to support a thriving Pacific County and otherwise take actions to make our county an inviting location for new business.

RH: What new incentive programs will work? For a population of about 10,000 on the peninsula, there are greatly valuable things going on now. Work closely with Chambers of Commerce to brainstorm. Strategically plan; get a vision. Collaborate with state and federal agencies, securing funding for grants to assist new entrepreneurs with their visions. Encourage new marketing programs and promote eco-tourism to our state parks. Support training in tourism-related careers, including culinary and hospitality skills, which would be in high demand. Improve the workforce with fresh education in new fields. Promote, upgrade, and spruce up amenities you do have.

DA: The county should encourage and seek partnerships with the many people, organizations, businesses, and towns that would like to enhance Pacific County. Let’s work together!

For instance, the folks at the Grange would like to help fix up Morehead Park in Nahcotta and have been stymied. Another example: I spoke with a man that wants to build a small convention center on land he owns between the go-carts and World Mark but has been stymied.

I’d like to see the Discovery Trail connected with Willapa National Wildlife Refuge to Ilwaco creating a 26-mile loop and then expanding the trail system to Ocean Park. I think everyone would like this. Just takes some commissioner vision and leadership to bring together various parties to get it done!

And, the county needs to work for local businesses rather than local businesses working for the county. If you reduce county roadblocks to start a business or run a business, new businesses will come to better serve our people and our visitors.

CO: When you have some time off, what is your favorite thing to do on the peninsula?

DT: I enjoy many things on the peninsula. I love our many restaurants, walks on the beach, connecting with friends, and much more. I love the natural beauty, the moderate climate, our Long Beach Fitness Center and the many small businesses that provide so much to our community. This is a wonderful place for myself and my family to live and I am honored to have the opportunity as a county commissioner to help it grow and thrive for all of us today and for generations to come.

RH: I visit other people, especially those with limited mobility, sometimes taking home-baked goodies suited to them. Also, I enjoy church activities, walking the LB boardwalk or beach, visiting our state parks, going to the Dune’s pool, and doing my own home improvements.

DA: My wife Jess and I enjoy time together outside “taking in” as many of Pacific County’s natural wonders that we can in the present moment, each and every day. Training and playing with our one-year-old yellow lab Duke is joyful, too. Duke is getting pretty good at heel, sit, stay and catching frisbees in mid-air!

CO: Why should voters elect you to serve as a county commissioner?

DT: I have so much relevant experience. Administration: 41 years in education, 29 of those in administration, the last 14 here on the peninsula.

Approximately: six years as a reserve police officer in Long Beach, five years as an EMT/firefighter with Pacific County Fire District No. 1, and serving as the chair of the Long Beach Planning Commission.

I have been serving in the role of county commissioner for our district since January of 2023.

RH: Look at my experience. I’m a warrior, reliable and proven. I care about each person’s needs, no matter who they are. Truth is, we’re in precarious and problematic times. The same things the same ways cannot work much longer. People want more transparency, along with answers and improvements to their lives. I want to see that happen.

DA: I will lead, representing the voters and not myself. I have specific plans to hit the ground running to give you the responsive country government you deserve. To learn more about my vision for our county, check out my campaign website, andersonforpacificcounty.com.