This is the second in a series exploring Clark County council candidates’ views on five different issues. The candidates’ views on transportation were published Monday.
Still to come: charter implementation, relationship-building and growth management.
o Fee waivers
County fee-waiver program a contentious issue for council chair candidates
District 2 candidates, backers and foes, call for changes to fee-waiver program
o Transportation
This is the second in a series exploring Clark County council candidates' views on five different issues. The candidates' views on transportation were published Monday.
Still to come: charter implementation, relationship-building and growth management.
Councilor candidates in District 2 discuss transportation priorities
Jobs and construction are on the rise in Clark County. The question for the county council is how to keep that momentum going.
Current Councilors David Madore and Tom Mielke, two Republicans running for county chair, have touted a blanket fee-waiver program they championed in 2013 as one of the biggest job builders in Clark County. The program, which was later criticized by a county audit, eliminated permit application fees and traffic impact fees on commercial building projects.
Fellow Republican Councilor Jeanne Stewart, meanwhile, is ready for a thorough re-evaluation of the program, while Marc Boldt, no party, and Dalesandro, a Democrat, have called for an end to the waivers.
Here are talking points on key issues surrounding jobs from the council chair candidates:
• Tom Mielke, Republican: Mielke praised the county’s fee-waiver program, saying it has attracted big-name companies such as Wal-Mart into unincorporated Clark County.
“It’s been very successful,” he said.
Mielke also disputed claims from his opponents and candidates in the District 2 race that waiving traffic impact fees will dry up the county’s road fund.
Mielke added that the county will re-evaluate the county fee-waiver program when the unemployment rate dips below the state average. Clark County’s unemployment rate in May was 6.6 percent, above the state rate of 5.3 percent.
• Jeanne Stewart, Republican: Stewart called for a close look at the fee-waiver program and another analysis of whether it’s doing its job.
o Fee waivers
County fee-waiver program a contentious issue for council chair candidates
District 2 candidates, backers and foes, call for changes to fee-waiver program
o Transportation
County chair candidates weigh in on transportation issues
Councilor candidates in District 2 discuss transportation priorities
The program, she said, has put unfair burden on residential developers, who still pay fees, without building the family-wage jobs Clark County needs. The county should consider modifying the waiver program to be more equitable, especially given the lack of affordable housing in Clark County, she said.
“I think we should look at an opportunity to maybe give residential a bite at the apple,” she said. “I believe we should be looking at modifications in the program.”
The council also needs to focus on improving its relationship with the Columbia River Economic Development council, she said.
In May, Madore suggested the county should make the CREDC ineligible for $160,000 per year in state economic development funding. He criticized CREDC for advocating in Olympia for improvements to the Interstate 5 interchange at Mill Plain (the CREDC advocates for all local transportation projects the Regional Transportation Council deems priorities).
“I fought from the beginning vigorously and at times in hostile environments to get the (CREDC) money,” she said.
• David Madore, Republican: Madore declined to respond to questions about his campaign.
He has, however, praised the fee-waiver program, claiming it has made Clark County the most “business-friendly community on the West Coast.”
“Our cash balances are healthier than ever as new revenue is lightening the tax burden for everyone and providing for better county services while we keep a lid on taxes,” Madore writes on his campaign website.
• Mike Dalesandro, Democrat: Dalesandro called for an end to Clark County’s fee-waiver program.
Dalesandro fears the program will eventually become “citizen-subsidized growth” and force the county to tap its general fund due to the lack of income.
“It’s not creating wealth in Clark County,” Dalesandro said.
However, Dalesandro said he is open to exploring other options to build jobs and attract businesses to Clark County. First and foremost, the county needs to repair its relationship with the CREDC, he said.
“Fighting an organization like the CREDC is just not a smart move,” Dalesandro said. “I think CREDC does a great job and is a conduit to job creation in Clark County.”
• Marc Boldt, no party preference: Boldt also called for an end to the program, citing the burden it puts on residential developers.
“The people building the houses are footing the bill,” he said.
Boldt also warned that local homebuilders may pursue a lawsuit against Clark County if they continue to pay more than their fair share of fees.
“They have legal representation,” he said.
Boldt supported fee-waiver programs as a county commissioner, voting to approve a fee holiday in 2010. Boldt said if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn’t have voted to approve the holiday.
