Former Republican Clark County Councilor Tom Mielke is trying to get his old job back.
Mielke was among the more recognizable names included on a list of candidates, released by the local GOP, seeking to complete the term of Republican county Councilor Eileen Quiring.
Quiring vacated her position after starting her term as council chair earlier this month, triggering a replacement process that gives central roles to the county Republican Party and the Clark County Council.
When a vacancy occurs in a partisan elected office, Washington’s constitution requires the central committee of the county party of the official vacating the position to produce three candidates to fill the open position. The top three candidates will be forwarded to the county council, which will pick a replacement. Each of the candidates must be of the same party as the departing official and live in the district they seek to represent.
“It just blows my mind the way we’ve gone backwards in the last three years,” said Mielke, who retired at the end of 2016 from the council seat that includes a large portion of north Clark County, as well as Camas and Washougal.
After taking some time to travel around the country in a motorhome, Mielke said, he was motivated to come out of retirement by recent tax increases. In the last three years, the county council has voted to increase its general fund levy by the maximum 1 percent allowed by state law.
It’s resulted in a tax hike of just a few dollars for the typical household. But Mielke said that the council has made housing less affordable and life more difficult for retired people who are being “taxed out of their houses.” He said the county has saved money from becoming self-insured and its reserves are adequate.
Mielke expressed criticism for how the county has implemented a change to state law to allow industrial development along the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad. He said the proposed development area is too expansive and the arrangement too favorable to the operator of the railroad.
“They need some leadership,” he said.
Mielke, a former GOP state legislator, was elected county commissioner in 2008. He was re-elected four years later and saw his position change to county councilor after voters passed the home rule charter in 2014. During his time on the council, he stridently opposed tax hikes, regulations and fees at the county’s regional parks.
He also aligned himself with fellow Republican Councilor David Madore, voting for his controversial land-use proposal while feuding with county staff and the rest of the council. In 2016, he unsuccessfully filed a petition to recall the majority voting bloc on the county council. The same year, he opted not to run for re-election, and Quiring won his seat.
The 10 other candidates for the council seat, which is up for election in 2020, have varying degrees of government experience and notoriety. They include:
• Shane Bowman, the deputy mayor of Battle Ground.
• Brook Pell, the vice chair of the Clark County GOP who worked on Elisabeth Veneman’s campaign last year to unseat Republican county Councilor Julie Olson.
• John Ley, airline pilot and conservative activist who frequently comments on transportation issues.
• Chuck Miller, a Republican Party activist who opposed the county charter in 2014.
• Richard Rylander Jr., who ran unsuccessfully for Battle Ground school board and county freeholder.
• David Knight.
• Greg Boynton.
• Herb Maxey.
• Gary Medvigy.
• Thomas Schenk.
Pell has been endorsed by former state Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas. Quiring also endorsed Pell, who served as co-chair of her campaign for county council chair.
Quiring made her endorsement in an email sent out to Republican precinct committee officers last week using a private account. In the email, Quiring touted Pell’s private-sector and political experience. Quiring wrote that she understood the district after having represented it on the council for two years and that Pell is best positioned to represent it.
“It is the most conservative district in the county,” wrote Quiring. “I firmly believe that you must keep that in mind as you select the individuals to put forth as candidates for replacement of this seat. It would not be keeping faith with the voters in District 4 to advance someone who does not closely match their values.”
Quiring wrote that “what the people of Clark County need is a cooperative Council that wants to move the County forward in the proper way.”
Former Clark County GOP Chair David Gellatly criticized Quiring’s move on Facebook, writing that the selection process “is being thrown to the wind.”
County Councilors Temple Lentz, Julie Olson and John Blom all declined to comment on the candidates, citing a desire to respect the replacement process.
“There are a number of very capable people who have applied, and I believe my duty is to give each fair consideration,” said Blom in a text.
Quiring did not respond to a request for comment.
The Clark County Republican Central Committee is made up of elected and appointed precinct committee officers and party board members. The committee will meet to vote on the three candidates at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the Marshall Community Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver.
Under the state constitution, if county council can’t agree on who to appoint within 60 days after the vacancy occurs, the decision goes to the governor.
