Voters seeking a candidate who has a strong understanding of the issues and the demeanor to be an effective Clark County councilor should support Glen Yung in the Nov. 8 election. The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends Yung for councilor from District 1.
As always, this is simply a recommendation. The Columbian trusts that voters will study the candidates and the issues before casting an informed ballot.
In District 1 for the county council, this will require a bit of homework. Incumbent Temple Lentz is not seeking reelection; in addition, county council races are nonpartisan for the first time, with candidates not stating a party preference.
In doing their homework, voters will find that Yung has taken a grass-roots approach to political involvement. A longtime Vancouver resident and business owner, he first became involved with his neighborhood association and then became a frequent public commenter at Vancouver City Council meetings.
During an interview with the editorial board before the primary election, Yung demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues facing the county. He is well prepared and well informed and possesses a demeanor that will make him an effective, collaborative councilor.
That demeanor is one of his strongest attributes as a candidate. Yung has a collaborative and thoughtful spirit but also will defend the issues that are important to his constituents.
Yung told the Editorial Board that he favors increasing funding for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, saying, “I don’t think anybody in our community has not noticed the uptick in crime.”
He also recognizes that the county council’s annual rejection of a permissible 1 percent increase to the property tax levy has contributed to a shortage of deputies and to a structural deficit in the county budget. “One percent isn’t even close to the 8 percent inflation,” he said. “We’ve made mistakes in the past.”
Yung’s pragmatic approach is evident in his thoughts about a new Interstate 5 Bridge. Saying a current proposal is imperfect, he added, “I’m a realist, and I’ll take what I can get.” The bridge proposal is beyond the purview of the county council, but the issue clearly is of interest to Clark County residents. It also is one often fused with dogma rather than thoughtfulness.
Yung’s competitor in the general election is Hector Hinojosa, who also advanced out of a three-person primary and has a long history of community involvement and leadership. Much of his community work has focused on feeding the hungry and on social equity issues.
Hinojosa, however, does not demonstrate Yung’s detailed understanding of local issues. For example, he told the Editorial Board that he favors an extensive work-release program to reduce the county jail population, but made no mention of the fact that Clark County currently has such a program.
Hinojosa said, “I see a county council that would rather stick to ideological solutions than real solutions.”
While we agree with that sentiment, we believe Yung is best suited to combat that culture on the county council. He has a variety of experiences that provide an understanding of issues facing local residents, having served on the executive board of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, worked in finance and owned a remodeling business.
The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends Glen Yung to represent District 1 on the Clark County Council.
