Bill Watson has my vote for county council district 1 – and I’ll tell you why. In my 40-year residency in San Juan County, I owned asuccessful land surveying business that took me to just about to every corner on every island. I have viewed the changing landscape,changing land use and the population that has driven it. I have been on the Town of Friday Harbor Planning Commission as chair for thelast eight years and am a member of the Friday Harbor Historic Preservation Review Board. My small surveying business and thesecommissions have introduced me to a good many of the past and present county commissioners, council members and most planning,permitting, and deed recording employees of the town and county.

From all this experience, I believe an effective county government directs and supports its staff without meddling in day-to day work anddecision-making. Without council meddling we will be spared the expensive lawsuits that waste tax dollars and erode the community’sconfidence in local government especially at the Community Development and Planning (CDP) Department – those folks who permitbuildings, land-use and development. Bill Watson understands that this is an issue.

I am voting for Bill Watson because I believe he will work diligently and use his management and leadership skills to produce land useregulations that are clear and consistent, and that will be applied fairly, without the politics that have too often influenced CDP decisions.He will work with the other council members, the county manager and the CDP to bring back horse sense and horse power that wehaven’t had for awhile in San Juan County. Wouldn’t that be nice. Watson as district 1 council member is the excellent choice.

Jeff Iverson

San Juan Island