Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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It seems as if 2024 is running at "fast forward" speed. Your elections team certified two of the five elections scheduled for the year, including the March 12 presidential primary. Many voters expressed concerns with having to identify a political party affiliation on their ballot return envelope. Presidential primaries are conducted for major political parties as part of their respective candidate nomination processes and the parties want to know who voted in their primary. From an elections...
Each year, approximately 500,000 people in the United States take the adventure of a lifetime and try skydiving. Washington is home to five drop zones, each hosting thousands of these tandem skydives per year. Tandem skydiving - where you're attached to an experienced skydiving instructor for your jump - has maintained an excellent safety rate. In fact, 2023 was the safest year ever for U.S. skydiving. Yet, local skydiving centers are under attack. Legislation that is unnecessary and...
The last quarter of 2023 was busy and productive. Your Financial Services Department finalized and published the Mason County 2022 Annual Report. The Auditor’s Office is responsible for reporting the complete activity for prior-year finances, per RCW 36.22.10(4). You can find this report at www.tinyurl.com/ye22b2ne. To better support veterans, your Recording Department team provided the ability for veterans to record, process or obtain certified copies of their Form DD214 Certificate of R...
In May, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Second Substitute House Bill 1474 creating the covenant homeownership account and program. The intent of this program is to address housing discrimination due to racially restrictive real estate covenants. This law will result in an increase of $100 in the recording fee for each document recorded by your Auditor's Office Recording Department. This fee is collected as an assessment for the covenant homeownership program. As part of the program, the state...
Life involves significant milestones like buying a home, starting a family and planning for your children's education. Amid these, creating a will often is overlooked. Despite its somber nature, a will is crucial for ensuring your wishes are respected and your loved ones are supplied for after you are gone. A will is a legal document detailing how you want your assets distributed posthumously, serving as a guide for your loved ones in managing your estate. It helps avoid the complications of...
The Nov. 9 edition of the Shelton-Mason County Journal published statistics for the number of challenged ballots as of 8 p.m. on election night, "Mason County had the highest percentage of contested ballots in Washington's 39 counties, with more that 3.5% of the votes being cast contested." So, what's going on? The contested ballots included many rejected for "signature mismatch." Signature verification is done by trained, experienced elections staff. Despite training and experience, signature...
Our state’s Climate Commitment Act was passed in 2021 with the stated goal of reducing and eventually phasing out carbon emissions. Among other things, the law promises protections for Washington’s agricultural sector and marine trade, and we were assured revenue resulting from the “cap-and-trade” approach would be spent only on projects that reduce carbon pollution. Gov. Jay Inslee claimed the CCA would raise fuel costs “pennies per gallon” at most. These promises have not been met. The Inslee administration refuses to be transparent...
As of Sept. 30, $24 billion in child care stabilization funding passed as part of the American Rescue Plan has expired. The unintended consequences of allowing child care funding to lapse could have a long-term ripple effect on our economy, workforce, and the well-being of children in our community. This is why President Joe Biden requested $16 billion in child care funding in a supplemental budget to continue the stabilization of the child care industry. Here's where you come in. We have a...
Dozens of TVs, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and abandoned cars had either been gunshot, torched or both. This place of destruction was what some locals called "Carnage Canyon," roughly 30 acres off Lefthand Canyon in Boulder County, Colorado. It was a shocking sight, but was it unique? Think about your own nearby public lands. This canyon's history began with mountain biking. Sometime in early 2000, a mountain biker discovered the canyon and developed a trail through it. Then, more...
“The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack.” – Freedom to Read If you have never read the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement, it is worth your time to read this powerful document. Published in 1953, eight years after the end of World War II, the statement feels timeless, as if it were written today, taken directly from recent headlines about banning books and defunding libraries. The Freedom to Read statement serves as a foundational...
Since my last report, your Financial Services team completed the 2024 Mason County preliminary budget. I had the honor of formally submitting this budget to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 12 and it includes total projected expenditures of $69,149,840. Budget workshops with the board and various department heads are scheduled for Oct. 3 and 4, where adjustments to requested expenditures may be made. The county commissioners will also hold a public hearing on Dec. 4 prior to...
In Mason County, as in many rural areas, economic development is more than just a catchphrase-it's the lifeline to a more prosperous and sustainable future. While cities and urban hubs often dominate headlines with tales of growth and advancement, rural communities face an equally pressing but less-publicized need: the revitalization of their local economies to ensure the sustained well-being of their residents. Economic development isn't just about improving the bottom line of local...
In our current election system, your signature on your ballot return envelope is of utmost importance. Your signature affirms the declaration printed on the envelope that under penalty of perjury you meet the qualifications to vote and you have not voted in any other jurisdiction in that election. The declaration also informs voters that it is illegal to vote if they are not a United States citizen; are incarcerated for a felony conviction; and that it is illegal to cast a ballot or sign a...
Thank you, Shelton. Thank you for this opportunity to serve my hometown and the place I call home. There are many people who have had a role in why I am here today serving as the next city manager. Teachers and coaches like Dann Gagnon, Terry Gregg, Harlan Buitenveld, Brian Brickert, Dave Niehl, Mark Jensen (all basketball junkies like me) and many more, instilled work ethic and teamwork principles that carry over from the gym to the office. Community leaders like Mike Byrne, who hired me for...
It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve you and to be your voice in the House of Representatives. In my freshman year there was a certain level of uncertainty going into session. However, I was absolutely blessed to be surrounded by Rep. Dan Griffey and Sen. Drew MacEwen. They made me feel comfortable and supported throughout the entire session, and their experience was invaluable as I navigated those rocky waters. Although in many ways the session was a disappointment regarding...
Mason County is a great place to live, work, and play. We are warm and welcoming people. We have miles of coast, trails, mountains and lakes for recreation. We have active and thriving small businesses with a variety of distinct fare and wonderful food. We also have differing opinions on social justice. I have witnessed and experienced instances of racism and discrimination in our community, and I believe that we can work together to create a more inclusive and welcoming community for all people...
From time to time, I hope to let you know how the Auditor's Office team is working to prepare for future elections and provide more transparency to the people of Mason County. This year is off to a busy and solid start. With certification of the February 2023 special election behind us, we completed another successful election. Your dedicated and experienced elections team worked hard to ensure that every accepted ballot and vote was counted correctly and accurately. Voters approved educational...
As the Legislature prepares to begin the 2023 session, there are many issues before us. How those will impact Mason County, the 35th District, and our state will be top of mind as I approach each issue. First and foremost, we begin the work on our biennium budget. The budget is our two-year spending plan for the state and is largely driven by policy decisions. I have had the honor to serve as one of the senior Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee for the past eight years. In...
In July, the County Commission participated in a retreat to set priorities for the rest of 2022 and look ahead to 2023. Many of the presentations from staff began with "in the future, the county needs ..." But, I asked our team, when is the future? The answer is simple - the future is now. And in Mason County, the future is bright. Throughout 2022, we have taken action on several fronts to ensure Mason County leads our region and competes for opportunity in the post-pandemic years ahead. In...
It has been an amazing year here in the City of Shelton. Looking back on this year and the accomplishments of the city, I want to highlight a few items that will have a direct impact on the quality of life for the community members and businesses that we do our best to support. Everything we work on at the city, ideally, ties back into at least one of your City Council’s strategic goals. The City Council met in March of this year to review and update these goals through 2025, and you can find t...
Homelessness is a multifaceted, contentious issue and it's important to acknowledge that there is no one right answer that will single-handedly solve the problem. We are listening and understand concerns of the residents, business owners, and other community members who have to deal with this issue and the direct and indirect impacts on our community. We intend to deliver solutions. Responding to homelessness has been a focus for many years in Shelton and Mason County. In this column, I'd like...
By Mike Sheetz, Ron Gold and Jack Janda | Mason County PUD 1 Commissioners For years, our PUD and the Northwest public power community at large have tried to communicate to our public ratepayers that the Lower Snake River dams are an essential source of clean, reliable, renewable and affordable hydropower generation for Mason County and for millions of households in the Northwest. Mason County PUD 1 receives over 85% of our energy from hydropower. The four lower Snake River dams — Ice Harbor, Lower Monument, Little Goose and Lower Granite ...
Dad is a private contractor, a builder and an improver of things, who lives along Hood Canal. He constructs decks and roofs, garages, does kitchen and bath remodels, flooring, painting, plus a little excavating, tree trimming, and septic work on the side. He has done a bit of everything, and a lot of everything too! While business slows down periodically, he himself rarely does. In fact, I have never known Dad to be without some sort of project in progress — even if it has to do simply with home or vehicle maintenance, or lending a hand to a n...
Turn on the news, open a newspaper or scroll through social media and you are likely to encounter some form of outrage involving Congress. Polarization in Congress feels like it’s at an all-time high, because it is. But beneath all the bickering that generates viewers and clicks, there is a strong desire by most representatives to find consensus and produce results. Most members of Congress want to get things done for the American people. Unfortunately, collaboration is not as exciting as conflict. And for members looking for talk-show i...
More than 10 years ago, the Mason County Board of Commissioners burdened Belfair business owners and all of Mason County with a sewer system nobody could afford. All of Mason County has been subsidizing this burden ever since. Last year alone, Mason County spent $1.2 million of your money just to cover the debt service. Was it wrong 10 years ago? Would it be wrong if the county did it to you again? I sure think so. Your county commission is about to make a big decision, again regarding unnecessary debt. Two commissioners recently wanted to...
