In response to the CRC Minority Report

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 4, 2021

On July 28, 2021, Journal Editor Mandi Johnson’s headline about four 2021 San Juan County Charter Review Commissioners presenting a Minority Report to the County Council made me say to myself, “Oh, brother, here we go again with partisan politics.” As I read her article, however, my opinion changed.

The four authors of the Minority Report are Bill Appel, Tony Ghazel, Tom Starr and Paul Dossett.

I don’t know Bill Appel, but in his letter in the Journal on July 18, 2019, he used the word “solastalgia,” a term used to describe feelings of distress or melancholy caused by environmental change. His letter rightly addressed the county’s Comprehensive Plan, not the County Charter.

Tony Ghazel is an IT consultant on Orcas. I do not know him personally, but he has served on the Orcas Island School Board, and has been the network administrator for the Orcas Island Public Library.

Tom Starr was a San Juan County Commissioner for several years. Though our political views sometimes differ, I always voted for him because of his integrity in office. He has served on previous Charter Review Commissions.

I know Paul Dossett from his many years as the County Assessor and his years directing community bands and teaching music in the SJI School District. He knows our community and how our government works.

Their Minority Report is clearly laid out giving reasons for each of their seven responses. I encourage all voters to read Mandi Johnson’s article and the full minority report (link found at https://orcasboard.org).

David Bentley

Friday Harbor