County’s chief of planning jumps into race for commissioner

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, July 21, 2007

Island County planning director Phil Bakke said he’s in the running to replace County Commissioner Mike Shelton.

Shelton said Monday he would resign his seat on Sept. 1 to take a new job in Olympia. County commissioners are expected to pick a replacement for Shelton within the next month or so, and because Shelton is a Republican, they’ll choose from three candidates nominated by the Island County GOP Central Committee.

Bakke announced his candidacy Thursday. Three other candidates said earlier they were interested in the seat; state Rep. Chris Strow, one of two House lawmakers from the 10th District; County Auditor Suzanne Sinclair; and Reece Rose, a 2004 candidate in the race for county commissioner.

“I’ve talked to a whole bunch of people and I’m throwing my hat in the ring,” Bakke said.

“I’m not doing this because I need a job. I’m not doing this because the pay is a whole lot better,” Bakke added. “I’m doing this for the challenge.”

Not counting an unpaid internship for Island County after college, Bakke has worked for the county for 12 years, the last eight as director of the county planning department. He now runs a department of 40 people or so and manages a $2 million to $3 million budget.

Bakke has a degree in urban and regional planning and is working on a master’s degree in public administration from the Evans School of Government at the University of Washington. He said he expects to finish by next June.

Bakke said commissioners have a full plate of land-use issues in the coming months and year: work on new wetlands, fish and wildlife regulations; adopting Freeland’s non-municipal urban growth area, and considering the expansion of Oak Harbor’s urban growth area.

One of the hats commissioners wear, Bakke said, is leading and managing county functions. And he pointed to the planning department’s evolution during his time at the top.

“Since I inherited my job, there has been a big organizational, cultural shift in how our staff interacts with customers and the community. They have taken on the role of problem solvers,” Bakke said.

“They listen and try to work with people to solve whatever issues are at hand. Years ago it was much more common for employees to say ‘This is what the law says, thank you. Have a nice day,’” Bakke recalled.

While Bakke is the newest name in the contest to fill Shelton’s seat, one candidate has been in the running since 2004.

Rose has been a candidate for the District 1 seat since she lost in the 2004 primary to Shelton.

She registered as a candidate for the 2008 election not long after coming up short in the 2004 race.

“I had fully intended to run in 2008,” Rose said.

Rose said she had a simple reason for seeking the appointment.

“I am not a professional politician. I simply want to get in there and do a good job for our Island County community,” she said.

Rose, who is currently president of the South Whidbey Republican Women’s Club, said she has practical skills that will help her as a county commissioner. “I think I’m an effective business manager; I work well with people.”

Rose said she expects others to get into the race for Shelton’s job.

“I would be very surprised if we didn’t have several more people step forward,” Rose said, adding that she is the only candidate so far who has actually sought the post in the past.

“I’m the only person who cared enough to run for the office,” she said.