Editor,

After attending the two League of Women Voters forums on South Whidbey, I was particularly impressed by Janet St. Clair, who is running for Island County commissioner.

Why? Because as she mentioned, she has been meeting with the county department leaders throughout this past year to learn about the county, and to bring herself up-to-date on the issues affecting us. That became clear for example, by her knowledge of the planning issues and especially her understanding of the housing concerns facing the county.

Janet offered a detailed and clear understanding of the process and provided solutions to not only improve housing affordability in Island County but to do so without sacrificing our environment. She proposed to manage this by balancing development and environmental protections through her support of low-impact development and her clear priorities to protect our islands.

I learned at the Freeland Forum that Janet directed one of the first programs in Washington state to combine medical care with mental health and substance abuse treatment, which is so vital. It’s obvious that she has the deep understanding, experience and connections to help us improve health and especially address the need for better mental health and substance abuse treatment in Island County.

Janet is a hardworking, down-to-earth person who listens to people’s concerns and really cares about making Island County the best it can be for all of our citizens.

I feel that, with her experience and commitment, Janet St. Clair is clearly prepared to represent the citizens of Island County from day one and lead our county in a positive direction and we’ll be lucky to have her.

Frankie Pettclerc

Freeland