Candidates for Whatcom County executive struggled to distinguish themselves Wednesday, July 12, at an online forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County.
The positions of the four candidates at the forum were so similar that the biggest impression may have been left by the two who didn’t show up.
With Misty Flowers and Sukhwant Gill absent, incumbent Executive Satpal Sidhu and three of his challengers — council member Barry Buchanan, state Rep. Alicia Rule and management consultant Dan Purdy — all spoke of the importance of more affordable housing, better public safety and help for those with behavioral health disorders.
Buchanan said if elected he would propose launching a public process to put a countywide housing levy on the ballot, similar to Bellingham’s Home Fund. Rule mentioned her support in the state Legislature for bills that encouraged denser residential development in cities and near transit stops. Sidhu said he would support building multiple, smaller homes on rural lots zoned for a single larger house. Purdy spoke of streamlining the permitting process to make home building easier and cheaper.
If anyone did stand out in the group of four at Wednesday night’s forum, it was Purdy. He resisted the premise of questions about clean-energy development at Cherry Point or the new Whatcom Racial Equity Commission.
“Industries at Cherry Point are already highly regulated,” Purdy said, and are already transitioning to cleaner fuels.
As for the Racial Equity Commission, Purdy said he had no policy proposals for the group.
“We have to help all people,” Purdy said, adding he would like to see “less in this area and not more.”
Buchanan mentioned climate change first among his priorities. He said he would advocate for a transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy systems at Cherry Point. Sidhu mentioned reducing the carbon footprint of county buildings and adding electric vehicles to the county’s fleet as funds allowed. Rule said the county should prioritize improvements to mass transit because many county residents can’t afford to buy their own electric vehicles.
Rule spoke most forcefully in response to questions about behavioral health and the fentanyl crisis, saying more than once that she was the only social worker running for county executive.
“This is my life’s work, and I can’t wait to do it in my own neighborhood and community, right here at home,” the state lawmaker said.
The incumbent Sidhu cast himself as a decisive leader during difficult times. His first term in office began just a couple months before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
“I have managed a challenging global pandemic, a child care crisis, a low-income housing crisis, a fentanyl crisis and devastating floods,” Sidhu said. “But I held a steady hand on the administration.”
Buchanan stood out as the resident expert on the proposed new jail and behavioral care center. “I’ve been at this for a while, but the last five years in earnest,” Buchanan said.
Not surprisingly, Buchanan spoke in support of the jail proposal he shepherded through the county council, which approved a 0.2% sales tax measure on Tuesday, July 11.
The only downside to the proposal, Buchanan said, was a lack of resources to provide all the behavioral health services needed in the community.
“But I do like the compromise we have,” he said.
The League of Women Voters’ executive candidate forum will be rebroadcast on 88.3 KMRE Community Radio at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, and noon on Tuesday, July 18. A recording of the forum also will be posted on the League of Women Voters’ website.
