Ballots for the 2020 election should be in your mailbox any time now. At times like this, when all eyes are on the national elections, it can be easy to forget that it’s our local elections that have a bigger impact on our day-to-day lives, in many ways. Friends of the San Juans’ staff and board members have been involved with three different initiatives to help us all better understand where the local candidates stand on environmental and community issues. Christine Minney and Ryan Palmateer are running for Council Residency District 1, and Cindy Wolf and Rick Hughes are running for Council Residency District 2. We hope you find these resources useful as you make your decisions.
Online Youth Forum by the Environmental Systems Class at Spring Street International School and Friday Harbor High School
On October 12, the students asked the candidates how they will address environmental issues such as climate change, waste reduction, and Southern Resident orca protection as members of the San Juan County Council. Click here to watch the recording.
Questionnaire from Community Rights San Juan Islands, Friends of the San Juans, and the Madrona Institute
These candidate questions range from assessment of county governance to views on tourism and economic growth, lessons from the pandemic and recent upheavals, climate change, and ecological health. Click here to view the questionnaire.
Vacation Rental Working Group (VRWG) Scorecard
The VRWG has compiled the responses of all four candidates into a “Scorecard” which summarizes their responses to eight-points of consideration. After conducting interviews with all four candidates running for District 1 & 2 San Juan County Council seats, the VRWG is cautiously optimistic that vacation rental reform measures will be given long-awaited attention when the new Council members take their seats in early 2021. Click here to see the Scorecard.
Friends of the San Juans is not endorsing candidates in this election, but we encourage you, our members and supporters, to learn as much as you can about them. We hope that these resources are helpful to you, and if so, we’d love to hear from you. Also, please consider sharing them with your friends and neighbors.
