The League of Women Voters held a forum at the San Juan County Grange for the upcoming local elections Nov. 3. The forum focused on races within the San Juan Island School District and San Juan County Public Hospital District. The audience was able to submit questions to all the candidates or specific candidates, allowing their opponent time for a rebuttal.
First up was Peter Lane and John Kurtz, both running for San Juan Island School District School Board Director 4, a nonpartisan, four year term. Lane could not attend the forum because he was away for work, but his daughter Josephine Lane read a statement for him that detailed his experience and goals for the position. Josephine is in second grade and attends Friday Harbor Elementary School.
“My dad feels that music and art are extremely important for children. Music and art provide emotional releases which other subjects don’t always foster,” Josephine said. “He believes he can be a leader in setting school policy and procedures and in budget management which are what he feels are the main roles of the school board.”
John Kurtz reviewed his qualifications for the job, and cited his island credentials of living on the island for 19 years and having children in the education system. Kurtz answered two questions from the audience and detailed issues that he would like to address with the position, such as finding enough funding for teachers, getting grants caring for the roof and more.
After a closing statement from Kurtz, the six candidates for the three hospital commissioner positions began their opening statements and question and answer session. The questions submitted covered what the candidates hope to accomplish as commissioner, ways to make healthcare more affordable and accessible and how they will ensure that the EMS levy will pass. The candidates were also asked their opinion on the American Civil Liberties Union letter to the San Juan County Public Hospital District, and whether a lawsuit would be brought, and if there were any conditions that exist that would cause them to resign. Each candidate said that nothing would make them resign, nor did they want litigation. Bill Williams commented that any litigation brought to the district would be a failure of the board commissioners, and that resolutions should be found before then.
Despite the high tensions that have come with the hospital district board race, most of the discourse was focused, though one question seemingly opened a can of worms when it was asked why Monica Harrington, Bill Williams and Barbara Sharp appeared on campaign signs together, and if this meant they agreed on most major issues, and that they would vote as a bloc if elected.
Sharp, running for commissioner position 2, stated that she was running her own campaign and was not endorsed by a political party, and that while they agreed on some issues they would not vote as a bloc. Bill Williams, running for position 5 against William Hancock echoed that they would not vote as a bloc, but that the three candidates had common ground and each brought a unique skill set that complimented the others. He said that he encouraged dissent amongst the board members, and said there is not currently enough of it. Monica Harrington, running for commissioner position 3 against Jenny Ledford, said the same.
The three opposing candidates, Hancock, Ledford and Loftus were then able to comment, each stating that they were running their own campaign free of political endorsement due to the nonpartisan nature of the position. Loftus addressed Monica Harrington directly to take issue with opposition statements that Loftus said Harrington wrote about the Certificate of Need for Peace Island Medical Center, as well as her involvement with the American Civil Liberties Union.
Before Harrington responded, moderator Steve Bowman warned the candidates to be careful in their comments and that they keep everything in civil discourse. In response to Loftus, Harrington stated that she never objected to the Certificate of Need process, but said she wrote a letter that said it was critical that the Certificate of Need process was transparent. Harrington ended her comments there, to which Loftus then began to raise the ACLU question again, though Bowman cut her off before she could respond.
Moderator Steve Bowman interjected a number of times, telling Loftus “This is not a conversation between you and her.” Bowman interrupted again later when Hancock began commenting on the campaign sign question, warning the candidates to stay on task to inform the voters, and that introducing information that the audience did not have access to was inappropriate.
In commenting on the campaign signs of Harrington, Sharp and Williams, Ledford told the audience “I’m running as an independent candidate for the islanders in San Juan County, that’s my voting bloc.”
The forum closed with statements from each candidate. The two-hour forum has been posted in full on YouTube by Tom Munsey here. The forums will continue Oct. 7 at the fire house on Orcas Island starting at 6 p.m. and Oct. 8 at Grace Episcopal Church on Lopez starting at 6:30 p.m.Ballots are sent out on Oct. 13, watch the Oct. 14 edition of the Journal for a question-and-answer from candidates and Journal endorsements.
