Angie Homola

Rezone must have a reason

WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

Aug 30 2008

You can’t fault people for owning property, but you can fault a commissioner for rezoning land without any input from the landowners or the general public during public hearings on the property.

If Bakke and McDowell are reelected they will continue to do as they have in the past. If re-elected there isn’t a piece of land in Island County safe from rezoning without compensation.

Island County voters need representation, they don’t get that with McDowell or Bakke.

The proof is in the decision just passed unanimously by the commissioners, rezoning the approach corridors to the air station. You must know there is a motive for this other than the Navy or the land owners asking for it.

Building a school there is laughable, would you vote for a levy to do that? Protecting the property is also unnecessary, most is farm land and was zoned properly, thus the building permit process would have stopped any building without a rezone to do so.

No one but Bakke and McDowell wanted it re-zoned, no hearing, no public input, but it got a unanimous approval, Why?

We voters have the chance to change this policy, and we must.

Tom Downey

Oak Harbor

McDowell supporter is wrong on homes

SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD

Sep 01 2008 · UPDATED

To the editor:

Some of our elected officials seem not to know how many residences they own.

At least John McCain didn’t lie; he just avoided telling the truth, sounding somewhat “uninformed.”

Mac McDowell, our long-time county commissioner, just plain lied about what he owns. A letter to the editor from Mr. Mosolino, who works with Mac’s wife as a realtor, attempted to defend Mac’s statement that he only owns a vacant lot, a small rental and his home, with a value of $400,000.

Mr. Mosolino suggested a little time on a computer checking tax records could prove that Mac was telling the truth. Well, when I checked the Island County tax records, I found that William (Mac) McDowell and his wife own eight tax parcels of real estate with and assessed value totaling over $2,789,600. We all know it is in reality worth much more. Mac just lied or he is unaware of what he owns.

Should we continue to keep him in a position of responsibility that requires truthfulness and or competence?

Truly it is time for a change. I’m voting for Angie Homola. She seems qualified, sincere and honest.

Parcel ID S801204000250

R132102053540

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Rose Kinnebrew

Oak Harbor

Island County commissioner admits mistake

WNT Published: June 07, 2008 12:00 AM

It's not often that a public official admits wrongdoing, offers an apology and then advances his restitution all at one setting. All Island County citizens should take note of this remarkable event.

According to the May 23 edition of The Whidbey Examiner, Commissioner Mac McDowell admitted that, on May 12, he instructed his assistant, Ingrid Smith, to call the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce on his behalf to reserve a place for his campaign-decorated truck in the May 24 Coupeville Memorial Day Parade. The details that follow are noteworthy in that they reveal much about the character of Mr. McDowell:

In carrying out her boss's request, Ms. Smith made seven calls, six of which were conducted during normal business hours on May 12.

The deadline for entering a vehicle in the parade was April 21, a fact made clear to Mr. McDowell by the parade coordinator, Joyce Claus.

Mr. McDowell had originally planned to be out of town that day, but belatedly became interested in the parade when he found out that his opponent, Oak Harbor businesswoman Angie Homola, would be participating.

As a veteran, Mr. McDowell was offered a seat in one of the classic cars that featured veterans; however, he declined because it would not accommodate one of his campaign signs.

When his request to have his campaign truck entered into the parade was denied, he expressed his displeasure to the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Susan and President Sarah Richards, Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard, and Coupeville Marshal David Penrod.

When all of his efforts to enter the parade as a candidate and a veteran were thwarted, he proclaimed, "I guess they can't accommodate a veteran."

The following week on May 30, The Whidbey Examiner reported that Mr. McDowell made a formal apology for his "big mistake" at the end of a regular commissioner staff session on May 21. He also sent a $14 check to the Island County Treasurer's Office for the Island County cost of his assistant's time in making the parade phone calls on his behalf.

So what was his "big mistake?" Mac McDowell specifically violated RCW 42.17.130, which prohibits elected public officials from using any of the facilities of their office, which includes office space and employees, during working hours, for the expressed purpose, directly or indirectly, of assisting a campaign for the election of any person to any office. Mr. McDowell has been in office for 16 years and, by his own admission, is well aware of state campaign laws; in fact, he has personally tutored his staff about the rules that govern campaigns.

Mr. McDowell"s actions are forgivable, but not excusable. They are clearly politically motivated and represent an abuse of his office. Elected officials are expected to follow the law. If they choose to or inadvertently break the law, they should be held accountable to the people. The public deserves and should demand more than an apology and a monetary token from any individual who has exploited his elected position.

In November the voters of Island County will have an opportunity to effect a change in the make-up of the County Commissioners. When they cast their ballots, I sincerely hope that they will remember this blatant example of Mr. McDowell's modus operandi and reject any elected officials who do not respect the law and violate the publics trust.

Marshall F. Goldberg

Oak Harbor

Island County deputies push for more help

Whidbey News Times

Sep 10 2008 · UPDATED

The budget process for the Island County commissioners began this week, but one group of employees has already made a bold move in an attempt to influence the process.

The Island County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild ran a full-page advertisement in the Whidbey News-Times last month arguing that the department was in desperate need of more deputies. It contained a lot of eye-opening information, like the fact that the office would need to hire 32 more deputies just to meet the state average of deputies per citizens.

“Please contact your County Commissioners and ask them to properly fund and properly staff your Sheriff’s Office,” the ad asks.

While a guild spokesman said the ad was not timed to have an effect on the elections, the question of funding law enforcement is an important issue that may help voters choose between the candidates.

Among the four candidates, only Angie Homola seems convinced that the need for deputies is both real and urgent, especially after meeting with Sheriff Mark Brown and Undersheriff Kelly Mauck. She’s a Democratic candidate challenging Republican Mac McDowell in District 2, which covers much of North Whidbey.

“There should never be a time when a deputy is left alone in the field,” she said, “and there should never be a time when there are no deputies in the field who can respond in a reasonable time ... But that’s happening now.”

As a commissioner, Homola said she would be willing to take a hard look at the budget and adjust it “to achieve the protection we need.” Also, she said the county’s poorly-planned growth increases population and crime.

“We must stop growing

beyond our means,” she said.

In addition, Homola said she would likely support a proposal, if it came forward, to place a retail sales and use tax on the ballot to fund law enforcement. Under a state law, the voters may approve a sales tax of 0.1 percent for criminal justice programs, but the commissioner would have to authorize its placement on the ballot. Currently, 32 of Washington’s 39 counties have such a tax.

McDowell is more defensive about the commissioners’ past support of law enforcement. He said this isn’t the first time that the Deputy Sheriff’s Guild has tried to influence the budget process.

“One year the deputies boycotted writing tickets, but they forgot to tell us,” he said.

He’s been a commissioner for 16 years and claims that there’s been a 40 percent increase in the number of deputies since he took office — even with the large loss of revenue from voter initiatives.

McDowell explained that the county receives a limited increase in revenue each year, about enough to fund two or three new positions in the entire county.

“Everyone has more work, not just the sheriff,” he said. Even so, he said the sheriff’s office has received “the lion’s share of increases.”

McDowell is known for being fiscally frugal and opposing tax increases. By holding the line on spending, McDowell helped keep the county’s property taxes low. The county assessor’s office reports that Island County’s total levy rate is the second lowest in the state, with only San Juan County being lower.

McDowell said he doesn’t feel that the public sees a vital need for more deputies.

“If you ask the average person, ‘Do you feel unsafe in Island County?’ the answer is no,” he said. “I’ve never heard an overriding cry from the public in general that there’s so much crime that they need more deputies.”

McDowell isn’t enthusiastic about the idea of raising a sales tax to fund more deputies.

“To support it, I would have to see a broad support like there was for the mental health initiative (sales tax),” he said.

In the race for District 1 commissioner, Republican Phil Bakke and Democrat Helen Price Johnson have more similar views about the issue of funding more deputies. The district covers South and Central Whidbey.

Both Bakke and Price Johnson said they were not persuaded by the guild’s ad, but they want to study the issue more completely and they both look forward to the sheriff’s budget presentation.

“It’s a more complex question than the information included in one display ad,” Price Johnson said.

Price Johnson agreed that public safety is the county’s top priority and that the deputies do “a stellar job” with the resources they have.

“But there are other needs across the county that are dire,” she pointed out.

Price Johnson hopes to identify other efficiencies that can be adopted in order to help the Sheriff’s Office. She’s not sure about placing a sales tax increase on the ballot.

“Before I would ever consider that, I would have to look closely at the need,” she said.

Bakke also said he has a lot of questions about the Sheriff’s Office, like whether it’s top-heavy with management and how many and what types of calls they respond to. He pointed out that the department has a record high 43 commissioned officers.

“It’s a tough environment to be looking for more money,” he said. “It’s tough. Taxes are down.”

Bakke emphasized that crime rates are low in the county, which he credits largely to county programs aimed at preventing and reducing crime. The commissioners supported drug courts, mental health programs, a program for new mothers, as well as other programs.

“All these things create this incredible web of services,” he said.

While he said he will continue to support law enforcement, these other types of programs also need funding. After all, he said it’s better for the community and more cost effective to prevent crime in the first place.

“If you can keep them out of jail, those programs are a bargain,” he said.

In response to the notion of a sales tax to support law enforcement, Bakke was clearly not in favor.

“I’m not a big fan of creating new taxes when people are trying to pay for propane to heat their homes,” he said.

Growth must be responsible

Whidbey News Times

Aug 27 2008 · UPDATED

I echo Joe Mosolino’s concern (Letters, Aug. 20) regarding letters with offensive language and deliberate misinformation. However, the nasty letter that upset Mosolino surely gained incumbent county Commissioner Mac McDowell more votes than it did his opponent, not to mention the editor’s unprecedented rebuttal on Mac’s behalf at the end of the letter. Is such favoritism accidental or intended?

In the same issue of the News-Times as Mosolino’s complaint, a letter from Lina Johnson blasts “elitists” who live in “McMansions sprawled throughout the most scenic sites in the county” and who want to “cram more and more people into a smaller space.” Perhaps Johnson missed McDowell’s stated intention to build and live in Mariner’s Cove, far enough from Oak Harbor so that its sprawl will never engulf that upscale neighborhood during his lifetime.

Oak Harbor’s city limits are creeping closer to my modest house in the woods amid quite a bit of wildlife that could not survive in Oak Harbor’s maze of cookie-cutter houses, many of which are unsold after being built by the dozens.

No, Ms. Johnson, a developer does not want to “build a house in the woods.” A developer wants to clear-cut the woods and build many houses.

Except for military families and support personnel, people live and visit here mostly because of the rural environment. Being designated rural by the state also provides Island County with funding that supports tourism. However, a wry joke at the Oak Harbor visitor information center is that visitors’ most frequently asked question is, “How do I get to La Conner?”

The races for Island County Commissioner are no joke. Votes for Helen Price Johnson, District 1, and Angie Homola, District 2, are votes for responsible growth.

James Bruner

Oak Harbor

Enough with the McMansions

Whidbey News Times

Aug 27 2008 · UPDATED

Huh? Well I don’t live in a McMansion — far from it. I don’t know what an “elitist” really is these days but I don’t think I’m one of those either. But I am an environmentalist, and so I take the letter printed on Aug. 20 to be somewhat confusing, disturbing and definitely an attack against Angie Homola.

When I went to her Web site at www.electangie.com and read what she wrote, I found her ideas very comforting and reassuring. I see so many McMansions built on this island since I moved here 5 years ago that I fear I won’t be able to afford the property taxes as the cost of homes increase due to these McMansions.

Many of them are not even the primary residence of the owners! I see these homes built in areas near shorelines that flood and wonder how they even got a permit to build from the county! I want Angie Homola as commissioner to stop this ridiculous practice which is seen all over the county!

Angie Homola believes we must “change our growth markers to criteria that is appropriate for island, not mainland standards. The current practice of making growth predictions on past building permits is irresponsible and unsustainable .”

She also writes that “rampant building in an area nearly void of living wage jobs results in a predominantly retired community base, which places a sales tax revenue burden on those with fixed incomes.”

Check out her Web site to read more of what she will do, such as supporting local businesses and promoting living wage jobs. Now that’s what we need on the island! Not more McMansions!

Mary Brencick

Greenbank

In Island County, Cmsr. McDowell’s 9 houses raise questions about land use planning

Whidbey News Times

Sep 04 2008 · UPDATED

How many houses a political candidate owns doesn’t matter much on the national stage where the issue gets more coverage than it deserves.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, received some negative attention for not knowing offhand how many houses he owns. Most of them came with his wealthy second wife, so he probably doesn’t care much about the details. And property ownership doesn’t matter a whit when the issues are national security, health care and the national debt.

At the county level, however, property ownership is important. Land use planning is, year after year, the most contentious issue of all in Island County. Most elected officials only own one house so when someone like Commissioner Mac McDowell owns nine, as the News-Times reported last week, it’s a useful piece of information for the voting public. Property ownership can influence decision making in zoning matters, and it’s possible to directly benefit financially from one’s own decisions.

McDowell, an Oak Harbor Republican, hasn’t been trying to hide anything. It’s generally been known over his 16 years in office that he invests in real estate and he was forthcoming when asked about the number of houses he owns. He’s never been a hypocrite on the issue. He stands for property rights and sees Oak Harbor’s future in terms of continued growth. He’s for growth and makes no excuses for it. He keeps getting elected by his Oak Harbor base despite the best efforts of Democrats to unseat him over the years. His challenger this year, Democrat Angie Homola, received 43 percent of the District 2 primary vote. Not real impressive, but with only about a 625-vote difference she still has a chance in the general election which will be conducted countywide.

Voters might see McDowell’s nine houses as a sign of business acumen and economic success, both of which are indicators that a candidate will make a good county commissioner. Others might see it as a sign that the candidate is too involved with the development community to be trusted to make unbiased decisions in the contentious area of land use planning.

Either way, the voters have an important piece of information to help them decide in November. That’s exactly how Washington’s public disclosure laws were supposed to work.

Rally sparks call for tighter development limits within Ebey's Reserve

8/1/2008 10:54:00 AM&#160;

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Justin Burnett / The Whidbey Examiner

An audience of about 100 people listens as Lance Loomis speaks at a July 23 rally focusing on development inside Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. Loomis, who lives at Crockett Farm, was one of the organizers of the event. Much of the discussion involved a local homeowner’s plans to build a 5,000-square-foot home on Wanamaker Road.

Justin Burnett / The Whidbey Examiner

Ian Jefferds talks about why he wants to remove the 1876 Sam Crockett House from his property so he can build a new house in its place.

By Justin Burnett

Examiner Staff Writer

Despite a wave of public sentiment against a local property owner's plans to build a large home on Crockett Prairie, Island County isn't going to revoke the building permit that will allow them to move ahead with the project.

Even though members of the Historic Review Committee insist that the permit was issued in error, the county has no plans to tell Ian and Karen Jefferds that they can't build their new house, Island County Commissioner Mac McDowell said.

At a rally attended by over 100 people last week at the historic Crockett Barn, many attendees made it clear they were upset that the commissioners and Island County Planning and Community Development Director Jeff Tate refuse to budge on the permit.

"I personally think the permit should have been revoked and the county should have had the cojones to fight the battle and see where it went," rally organizer Paula Spina said. "Sometimes it's a good thing to fight the lawsuit. The supreme court case in question is a bad decision."

Spina's comments were met by loud applause. She and rally co-organizer Lance Loomis own Crockett Farm, which overlooks the Jefferds property.

But McDowell said it's too late to revoke the permit.

"There is no way the commissioners can rescind a building permit that's been issued in excess of 21 days," McDowell said. "And what would happen is you'd go to court, and you'd lose in court."

In interviews following the meeting, Island County Commissioners Phil Bakke and John Dean reiterated McDowell's comments. Attempting to revoke the permit now would be a blatant example of malfeasance on the part of county government, they said, and no amount of public support can justify such an action.

Although the theme of the rally was about protecting Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, the majority of the discussion revolved around the 5,000 square foot house the Jefferdses plan to build on Wanamaker Road.

The home had been deemed too large by the Island County Historic Review Committee, which reviews projects proposed within the Reserve. But as a result of a paperwork mistake, Island County Planning and Community Development awarded the permit anyway.

According to the board and Tate, the error cannot be fixed because the problem was discovered too late. He cited a state court ruling that says a permit may not be withdrawn more than 21 days after its issue date.

But all three county commissioners said they are in favor of having Tate review county land-use laws that address projects within the Reserve.

"Here's both sides saying there is something they would like us to do," McDowell said. "That sounds like good fuel to re-look at this."

At the rally, Spina and Ian Jefferds both talked about how the rules are confusing and contradictory.

Bakke confirmed the board would discuss possible ordinance changes with Tate and Reserve Manager Mark Preiss in a staff session on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

While the three-hour rally was dominated by discussion about the Jefferds permit, it at times it got off track as local residents running for office took advantage of the opportunity to make campaign speeches. Following McDowell's response about why the county would not rescind the permit, Angie Homola, a Democrat who is running against McDowell for the District 2 commissioner seat, gave a 20-minute speech.

Other candidates who made stump speeches were Democrats Tim Knue, who is running against Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, and Patricia Terry, who is running against Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor. Ian Jefferds was the last to step up to the podium.

"As in all stories, there's generally two sides to everything," Jefferds said.

He went on to say he had been misrepresented in the media and that he had spent the past three years designing his new house. Hoping to set the record straight, Jefferds addressed concerns about the permit he applied for that would allow him to demolish or remove the Sam Crockett house, the home in which he and his wife currently reside.

"It's been alluded to in the paper, it's been stated here tonight, that were just these terrible people who want to tear down this historical house," Jefferds said. "That never was the intention from day one, I want to make sure you're all clear on that."

The demolition permit was part of the process for relocating the house, he said. Local resident Matt Iverson has agreed to move the historic home to his vacant lot on nearby Fort Casey Road.

As he finished speaking, Spina asked if he might reconsider voluntarily giving up his building permit. He replied that he'd "already been there" and would not give it up.

Spina has since said she feels the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved and will continue to pressure the Jefferds and commissioners McDowell and Bakke, both of whom are currently running to keep their commissioner seats.

"I don't want to tip my strategy," Spina said. "But this isn't going away, and we are not going away."

McDowell, Bakke mean more sprawl

13 August 2008

Mac McDowell and Phil Bakke will tell you they have done a great job of keeping taxes lower, but when you look at your utility bill in Oak Harbor, you know differently. The tight knit group of leaders, who want to annex for development, are bankers who sell property and real estate agents who stand to gain financially or are somehow tied to the above.

When the city consumes rural county land for annexation our taxes go up. Island County has the final say in the transfer of county land which is developable at 1 house for every 5 acres, to city land at 4 houses for every one acre.

Bringing utilities from the city out to these newly annexed properties means city dwellers pay for the infrastructure impacts. To top it off, Mac McDowell and his buddies have refused to adopt development impact fees to offset this burden on existing property owners. The city has announced a utility tax increase in the foreseeable future of at least 14 percent to cover storm water infrastructure and a new $2 million-plus water tank.

This is the result of building beyond our means and with environmental abandonment. So the lower taxes jargon is meaningless. As a bonus we get sprawl development, loss of forest and agricultural land, erosion and contaminated run off into Puget Sound and a lack of stable living wage jobs with few affordable homes.

It is time for new leadership. We have a new visionary in Angie Homola, a local architect, who believes in balancing man-made and natural environments, and in effective public notice and participation. Homola is a candidate who has been fighting for the concerns of the public for the past two years and decided enough was enough. Vote for Angie Homola, candidate for Island County Commissioner District 2.

You will be glad you did.

Trudy J. Sundberg

Oak Harbor

Missing Words anger Candidate

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/25929404.html

Homola challenges McDowell on growth

Whidbey News Times

Published: April 19, 2008 12:00 AM

Updated: June 27, 2008 10:51 AM

Angie Homola is hoping to change from an outsider to an insider when it comes to planning growth in Island County.

For several years she has been one of the most vocal critics of growth planning by both the county and city of Oak Harbor. Now, she's trying to unseat Republican Mac McDowell on the Board of Island County Commissioners.

Homola, a Democrat, lives in the West Beach area where farmland is awaiting hundreds, even thousands, of new homes if efforts to enlarge Oak Harbor's Urban Growth Area bear fruit. To fight back, Homola and other concerned residents created the Swan Lake Watershed Preservation Group to limit growth and protect the shallow seaside lake that catches the runoff from the watershed.

Since hoisting the less-growth-is-better banner, Homola estimates she has put in more than 30 hours a week researching public records, dealing with government agencies and preparing testimony and other input into the planning process.

But she's seen few results from all her hours of work.

"No matter how hard we try we're not going to change the people who make the decisions," she said.

So if she can't change their minds, she hopes to take their job.

McDowell, a former Navy pilot, has been a commissioner for 16 years during which time Island County has grown rapidly in terms of population and new housing. Homola doesn't see that as positive.

"The build or bust planning policy of the past 16 years under Commissioner McDowell has resulted in increased taxes, added crime, water availability concerns, burdened emergency services, traffic problems and environmental degradation," Homola said in her candidacy announcement.

Asked about that comment on Friday, McDowell refuted the charges. He said Island County's crime rate is the lowest in the state due in part to his support of the Sheriff's Office through the years.

As for growth, McDowell said "no commissioner can control who crosses the bridge." He said Island County was the first to fully comply with the state Growth Management Act and the recent update to the Critical Areas Ordinance has been described as a model for others to follow by state officials. "The update has gotten us glowing letters from state agencies," he said.

McDowell declined to criticize Homola, who he has dealt with frequently. "I don't plan to slam my opponents. I'll run on my record and what I've done," he said.

While McDowell boasts about the updated Critical Areas Ordinance, Homola sees no real intent to enforce it. Referring to the county's hired land use consultant, Keith Dearborn, she said, "Dearborn has his job ... finding ways around the CAO so it doesn't have any teeth."

Citing utility rates hikes in the city and increasing taxes for residents, Homola said, "Everybody else is paying for development ... don't just open the doors and say 'come on in' to developers."

Homola, 48, is an architect trained at Washington State University. "My expertise is project management," she said. She once worked as a plans examiner and building inspector for Island County, and sat on the advisory committee for Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve.

She now runs her own business out of the home she shares with two children, one in middle school and one in high school, and her husband Jerry, a Navy reserve pilot. She has volunteered extensively in local schools, is active with Whidbey Playhouse and helped with the Fort Nugent playground effort.

Besides calling for better planning, Homola is hoping to improve citizen access to public records. "Open government is really a big deal," she said, citing her frustrating experiences trying to get access to public records. "What I saw changed my life, what the public gets is blank stares."

If elected, she will work to improve access to records and improve public notification procedures for projects in the works.

She cites her three main issues as accountable government, responsible growth and a sound economy.

"I'm not a politician," she said. "I just want to do something meaningful. I just think we can do better. I really do."

Parade kerfuffle leads to campaign violation

Whidbey Examiner

5/22/2008 3:54:00 PM

By Justin Burnett, Examiner Staff Writer

When an assistant to Island County Commissioner Mac McDowell made multiple phone calls to arrange an election campaign appearance for her boss, she did so on the taxpayer's dime.

Using public facilities to campaign for a candidate is a violation of Washington campaign law, according to a spokesperson from the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.

During work hours on May 12, the office assistant spent time trying to coordinate McDowell's appearance in the Coupeville Memorial Day parade.

"To use the public's property to further your political position is not legal in Washington state," said Doug Ellis, assistant director of the PDC.

That includes anything purchased with taxpayer dollars, including office space and employee time during work hours.

McDowell is campaigning for re-election to a seat he has held for 16 years. This is his fifth campaign, and he said he is well aware of state campaign laws and has personally tutored his staff about the rules.

However, McDowell said he was aware of only one call made by his assistant, Ingrid Smith, and that it was made on her lunch break. Smith confirmed that subsequent calls were made during work time.

"If that's true, then I screwed up," McDowell said. "I failed to give her proper instructions. I'll step up to the plate for that."

Mc Dowell said a recent death in his immediate family also may have contributed to the oversight. The day the calls were made, McDowell said he was focused on arranging funeral arrangements for later that week.

"I think that added to my distraction," McDowell said.

However, parade coordinator Joyce Claus said Smith called her seven times that day on behalf of McDowell, and each call seemed like a relayed response from McDowell.

"That's my assumption, but I can't prove it," Claus said.

McDowell said Smith came into his office several times during the workday to ask him questions regarding the parade, but that he thought they were all part of her preparation for the first call.

"I wasn't aware they were going back and forth," he said.

The reason for the multiple calls is that Smith was unable to reserve a place in the parade for McDowell's campaign-decorated truck. By the time Smith placed the first call to the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce, it was three weeks past the parade entry deadline, and there was no room for additional cars.

According to Claus, Smith's first call was to inquire whether any other election candidates had signed up for the parade.

After Claus confirmed that Angie Homola – an Oak Harbor businesswoman running against McDowell – would be in the parade, Claus said Smith called back to try to reserve a place for McDowell's campaign truck in the front of the parade with the rest of the veterans.

Claus said she initially told Smith that there was no room to add another vehicle in the parade lineup, and that the only participants allowed to sign up after the April 21 parade deadline were veterans who were to ride in classic cars that were already part of a parade entry. Later, Smith called Claus again, telling her that McDowell was a veteran, and so felt entitled to sign up late. Claus said McDowell was offered a seat as a passenger in one of the classic cars, along with the other veterans.

Later, Smith called Claus back again asking why McDowell's decorated campaign truck couldn't be in the parade. Claus repeated that there just wasn't any space for another vehicle. The main purpose of setting an entry deadline and limits on the lineup is because there is limited space in the parade's holding area, she said.

"There was no way I could fit his truck in unless it was three feet long," Claus said.

According to e-mail records, that's when McDowell got personally involved. In an e-mail message to Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Susan that also was sent to Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard, McDowell said he was being discriminated against because he was not allowed to have his truck in the parade.

"I'm upset and confused as to why you will let some people in the parade after the deadline and not others," McDowell wrote.

Although the e-mails were sent from his work office, McDowell said he used his personal laptop and personal e-mail address. If that's the case, such e-mails are not a violation of state law, Ellis said.

Susan responded by reiterating that McDowell was welcome to be in the parade if he was willing to ride in one of the classic cars with the other veterans, but that there was not enough space for his campaign truck. McDowell responded with a second e-mail, this time also sending copies to Coupeville Marshal David Penrod and Chamber President Sarah Richards.

The e-mail said that while he would accept and was grateful for the offer, McDowell wrote that he "thought it was very strange" that a veteran running for office was told that space was limited for a parade that wasn't going to start for another two weeks.

Since then, McDowell has withdrawn his parade entry altogether. Even though McDowell had specified in the e-mail that one of his signs was designed to ride on the roof of a vehicle, the classic car in which he was to ride was a convertible.

"I guess they can't accommodate a veteran," McDowell said.

As it turns out, McDowell had never planned appear in the parade in person, as he already had plans to be in Texas visiting his father on the day of the event.

Ellis said the PDC commissioner would probably not launch an investigation about campaign-law violations because McDowell will not be in the parade.

McDowell picks and chooses

Whidbey News Times

Published: May 17, 2008 12:00 AM

Updated: June 27, 2008 8:01 PM

During the recent APZ (Accident Potential Zone) public meeting it was disturbing to watch the dog-and-pony show put on by the County Planning Department representatives who took the heat while Commissioner McDowell mostly sat back and watched.

Angie at an Accident Potential Zone meeting

McDowell publicly tossed the GMA (Growth Management Act) around like the plague. This piece of intuitive Washington State legislation which we voted in favor of, and again supported when we did not pass I-933, established 13 goals ranging from public participation to local economy protections. Counties and cities must meet these goals with their comprehensive plans. In Island County and Oak Harbor, these plans are mostly empty promises side-stepped by loopholes called mitigations that pave the way for development.

I found it very revealing that McDowell decides which GMA requirements should and should not be complied with for our "public health and safety." For example, the new county wetland ordinance, which he approved, indicates that no development will be denied for wetland protection. It also states that if a property owner finds that they cannot manage wetland protection compliance, they can simply pay a fee in lieu of the protection.

The water in Holmes Harbor is too filthy to swim in or eat the shellfish out of. Which threat is greater, the one-in-a-million chance of an airplane crash or the very real threat we pose to our clean water, air and quality of life by not complying with all of the intended guidelines?

McDowell decides which areas are worthy of enforcing at his whim. As for public awareness, according to Mac, it would be too costly to provide effective notice. Instead the county may well wind up in lawsuits due to their negligence then point the finger at our citizens for costing the county money.

Do it right Mac, either follow all the guidelines set out to protect us, or get out of office.

John Holland

Coupeville

Meeting Minutes - Oak Harbor's growth expansion

Meeting Minutes.

Oak Harbor architect seeks spot as county commissioner

South Whidbey Record

Published: May 14, 2008 12:00 AM

Updated: June 25, 2008 9:39 AM

You will be heard. And then some.

Thats the promise from Angie Homola, an Oak Harbor-area resident who is challenging longtime incumbent Mac McDowell for his position on the board of county commissioners this November.

It promises to be an interesting election. Two of three seats on the board of commissioners will be up for grabs this fall. For District 1, a primary battle is already guaranteed as three candidates - Curt Gordon, Helen Price Johnson and Reece Rose - are challenging incumbent Phil Bakke for the seat.

Homola said she has been a citizen activist for the past two years, working on issues such as properly planned growth, protecting the environment and open government.

Homola, a self-employed architect, said she has seen enough to know there is room for improvement in Island County government.

"Until we change the people who have the ability to make decisions, then our own concerns go unheard or are for naught," Homola said.

Homola is running as a Democrat in the race, though she did not register as a Democrat when she filed as a candidate in the District 2 commissioner's race with the state on April 1.

McDowell filed as a candidate for reelection on March 8. The Oak Harbor Republican has been on the board of commissioners since 1993.

Homola said she first became interested in seeking a seat on the board of commissioners after she became involved in the fight against the expansion of Oak Harbor's urban growth area.

The move to amend the countys long-range growth plan so Whidbey Island's biggest city could grow even more prompted concerns, Homola said. She became worried that the increase in impervious surfaces - roads, parking lots, roofs - from new development on the edges of Oak Harbor would mean more untreated stormwater rushing into environmentally sensitive areas, including north end estuaries and Swan Lake especially.

"They see this as a giant stormwater detention pond for the city of Oak Harbor. That made me mad enough to run for county commissioner," she said

Homola worked as a volunteer for two years, and estimates she spent 20 hours a week working on growth and environmental issues.

"What I witnessed changed my life," she said.

Controversy over the expansion of Oak Harbor's growth area and the debate over well-planned development put growth issues on the radar for many on the north end, she said. It was reflected in last year's election for city government positions, Homola added.

Growth is a big issue elsewhere in Island County, she said, on South Whidbey and Camano Island.

"We're all very concerned with our quality of life and the direction we're heading with growth," she said.

"I plan to implement the comp plan, not find mitigations around it."

Homola has been a registered architect in Washington and Hawaii since 1992. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from Washington State University in 1988.

She moved to Whidbey in 1997; her husband, Jerry, is a Naval Reserve pilot at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

She has had her own architectural services business in Oak Harbor since 2004, and worked for three years as a plans examiner and building inspector for the Island County planning department from 2001 through 2004.

Homola said her professional skills would serve her well as commissioner, especially her expertise in contract administration and project management.

She also touted her volunteer work in the community - she has two children in Oak Harbor schools - which included designing a new playground and getting it installed, as well as helping out in the classroom. Those efforts earned Homola a "Golden Acorn" award at Broad View Elementary School.

So far, Homola is leading the incumbent in the money race.

According to finance reports submitted this week to the state, Homola has raised $7,606 in campaign funds, which include a $1,000 loan she made to her own campaign. McDowell has not yet reported any contributions to his campaign.

County commissioners set policy, pass ordinances and regulations and adopt a yearly budget.

Commissioners are paid an annual salary of $74,758.

Homola vowed to put "open government" on her list of top priorities.

"I think we're being 'heard.' I don't think we're being responded to," she said.

"I think we can do better. I know we can do better."

Angie Homola

Rezone must have a reason

McDowell supporter is wrong on homes

Island County commissioner admits mistake

Island County deputies push for more help

Growth must be responsible

Enough with the McMansions

In Island County, Cmsr. McDowell’s 9 houses raise questions about land use planning

Rally sparks call for tighter development limits within Ebey's Reserve

McDowell, Bakke mean more sprawl

Missing Words anger Candidate

Homola challenges McDowell on growth

Whidbey News Times

Parade kerfuffle leads to campaign violation

McDowell picks and chooses

Whidbey News Times Published: May 17, 2008 12:00 AM Updated: June 27, 2008 8:01 PM

Meeting Minutes - Oak Harbor's growth expansion

Oak Harbor architect seeks spot as county commissioner

Oak Harbor architect seeks spot as county commissioner

Whidbey News Times

Published: May 17, 2008 12:00 AM

Updated: June 27, 2008 8:01 PM