Camas-Washougal Port Commissioner Ward keeps his seat

In a general election that followed primary results, Bill Ward kept his District 2 seat on the Port of Camas-Washougal board by beating Neil Cahoon.

Ward was well in front in the Tuesday ballot count — 4,398 to 2,597 — for 62.5 percent of the vote.

He also claimed about 62 percent of the vote in the three-way Aug. 16 primary.

During the campaign, Ward said his top issues include redeveloping the 25-acre former Hambleton Lumber Co. mill and preparing Steigerwald Commerce Center — 120 acres of undeveloped, industrially zoned land — for development.

The port’s three elected commissioners oversee an agency with operating revenues of $4.4 million and several community assets, including a 400-acre industrial park, the 79-hangar Grove Field airport and a 350-slip marina.

Port commissioners receive $104 for each day they conduct port business, including attending official meetings, with an annual maximum of $9,984. Each commissioner receives $350 per month.

Commissioners also are eligible to receive medical, dental and vision insurance benefits.

People who live in the port district, and who own a home assessed at $200,000, pay about $82 in port property taxes annually. The port spends that revenue on infrastructure and other capital projects, not day-to-day operations. Other sources of port revenue include airport and marina fees, and lease agreements with industrial tenants.