The Grange was a full house for candidate forum

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 20, 2026

Ballots are in the mail for the Aug. 4 primary election, and three are running for the District 3 County Council position: Renee J. Koplan and Katherine Bryant Ingman of Lopez, and Jennifer Swanson of Shaw. District 3 includes Lopez, Shaw and Decatur islands. The League of Women Voters hosted forums with the three candidates: July 13 on Orcas, July 14 on San Juan and July 15 on Lopez.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Koplan was unable to attend the July 14 event at the Grange in Friday Harbor. Steve Bowman, of the League of Women Voters, read her statement:

“I am running for county council because I believe strong communities are built by people who participate, listen and step forward to serve … We face real pressures around housing, infrastructure, access to healthcare and maintaining a resilient local economy … Over the years, I volunteered and worked with organizations focused on environmental stewardship, emergency services, animal welfare, affordable housing and in support of the local community.”

Koplan also stated she has held positions in multiple junior taxing districts where her responsibilities included counseling employees, researching and maintaining compliance with policy and procedures, and creating and managing budgets.

Koplan was able to attend the Orcas event on July 13, and Bowman hoped she would be available on July 15 for the Lopez forum.

Farhad Ghatan was the master of ceremonies, presenting questions submitted by the audience. Questions centered around affordable housing, ferries, the Department of Environmental Stewardship and the County budget.

Affordable housing

Swanson highlighted those who can’t afford local housing and don’t qualify for affordable housing programs, such as teachers, nurses, or entry-level doctors.

“As a council member, I want to find ways to be a good partner, not to be an impediment to building and improving and expanding housing in our community, but being a partner in finding places in our county that are stopping progress in those areas.”

Bryant Ingman agreed, adding, “I think the county has been a great partner. I’m really excited to see all the projects happening across the three big islands. I know with my work with Housing Lopez we’ve benefited in real and lasting ways from county partnerships and county funding.”

She encouraged solutions beyond building. “We definitely need more low-income housing. We definitely need more workforce-development housing for folks who are a little bit priced out of owning a home. … We also need to look at different partnering with nonprofit organizations who are leading a lot of the work across the country.” Connecting longtime homeowners with newer community members who could help with property caretaking or refurbishment, she said, was another option the County could consider.

“I think we need to take a large systems approach in thinking through these housing solutions. New housing is expensive, as we all know, and it’s exciting when we can build new housing. That should not be the only option we go for,” Bryant Ingman told the audience.

In response to a question about balancing the need for more housing with protecting the rural character and environments of the islands, Bryant Ingman responded, “We need more housing, absolutely, and we also need to be thinking about the recent tiny home changes; that’s an exciting progression.”

She reiterated a partnership with the nonprofits already taking the lead across the islands and noted that individuals on Lopez are bringing homes to their properties as they hand off farm work to the next generations. “There are a lot of different possibilities. We can preserve our farms, preserve our wonderful public spaces and house our community members,” she said.

Swanson touched on County code. “There are opportunities that exist in the code. Rural clusters were written into the code to create some density that is not right in Urban Growth areas.” There are six to eight homes outside of Fisherman’s Village, Swanson explained, that used the rural cluster code to build out that area. “It creates a little density in the rural area without having sprawl,” she said. “Some of the downsides are that it’s highly cost-prohibitive because you do have to put in a septic system and water system that meet the needs of multiple homes, but if there is something the county can be doing to find ways to lessen that burden and find ways to build a bit of density that’s not right in the urban area, that’s an opportunity. I see that as an area that this county can grow and I’d like to explore that more.”

Department of Environmental Stewardship

“I, first and foremost, want to say our environmental stewardship department is wonderful and they are doing amazing work. We should all clap for them,” Bryant Ingman began, and audience members clapped. She told the crowd that she believes the department should be protected, and while it’s operating out of the County manager’s office, she has heard from multiple people that it’s going well. After noting that she respects the process and acknowledged the difficult budget decisions, Bryant Ingman said. “It may look different for a time, and I think that is okay. Our programs and the people who are running them are extremely important to me and I love them.”

Swanson addressed the difficulty of finding cuts of about $4 million, saying, “It’s hard for us to sit on the sidelines and question the things they are talking about and that they know. I want to respect that process as well. I, too, want to see the department ultimately kept together. I know that there’s a lot of collaboration that goes into those people working together to do the best work on behalf of our county.”

As a Council member, Swanson told the crowd, “I would look to put that department back together in a financially responsible way that keeps it together going forward. Our focus on the environment has to be not just about keeping it beautiful for visitors, but keeping it a place we love and enjoy and live in.”

Ferries

Swanson has been a member of the Ferry Advisory Committee for eight years and currently serves as chair.

“If you think that county business can be slow, state funding for the ferries is even slower. I feel like we are on the cusp of real change,” she said.

The long-range plan and infrastructure are outdated, and new ferries are desperately needed.

“I would love to make sure we have the ferry service that meets the needs of our community,” Swanson told the crowd, adding that with her Washington State Ferry connections, she could bring those relationships to the Council seat.

“I want to emphasize that advocacy and getting things done in a collaborative space between a county organization and a state entity is all about relationship building, and I’ve been a proven leader on Lopez and throughout the county building relationships,” Bryant Ingman began. “Jennifer and I have both spent time on the schedule rewrite committee. I’m sorry if you don’t like the new schedule. I also do not like parts of it, but what we learned together was [that] it takes a lot of work and effort and listening to get something right,” Bryant Ingram said. She also encouraged people, rather than just posting experiences on Facebook, email them to the FAC so that they can take action.

County budget

Both candidates declined to respond to a question about the County’s 2024 decision to let go of five Department of Community Development employees and contract with an Oregon-based permitting company, saying they lacked key information.

On the matter of the recent levy failure, Bryant Ingman suggested more outreach and communication from the County could have been helpful, noting that “‘I talked to a few friends who said ‘I did not even know I was getting a ballot,’ and that is a bummer.”

Swanson told the audience, “There was a lot of speculation on whether or not it would pass, and most people felt pretty sure it did not have a good chance. When it failed, I spent a lot of time meeting with individuals and organizations to ask for their takeaways. The one thing I heard was ‘I didn’t even know what I was voting on. There wasn’t a clear ask. There wasn’t a clear connection between my yes vote and what it would equal.’ People clearly did not understand that the levy was going to maintain current county services.”

Questions regarding the short work week controversy arose.

“It has been challenging for community members to get the services they need; I’ve had that experience myself,” Bryant Ingman said, pointing out that it has also saved the county a lot of money and improved the quality of life for County employees. Bryant Ingman herself is on a 32-hour work week, allowing her to be involved in the Women’s Community Foundation, coach track and campaign for a Council position.

Swanson noted she also has been in the position of trying to do business with the County and has been delayed due to the 32-hour work week. The contract was union-negotiated, she pointed out, and while that is not going away, perhaps at some point, possibly “renegotiating to make sure the offices are open five days a week would be an important thing to give back to our community.”

Closing

Bryant Ingman said, “I am running for Council because I deeply love this community. I have been very nurtured, stewarded and cared for here, and I want to build that for generations to come,” she said, continuing that there should be a diversity of ages, backgrounds and perspectives contributing to local decision-making.

Swanson thanked attendees for taking time out of a busy and beautiful evening to learn and take part in the democratic process. “I’m also running because I deeply care about this community and the future of the county. If elected, I will hit the ground running with a little less fire hose experience and a little more let’s get started.”