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9 of 11 county commission candidates make their pitch

Committee will recommend Macleod successor

By Rolf Boone | The Olympian • Published January 04, 2009

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Tumwater City Councilwoman Karen Valenzuela, administrative aide Susan Bogni and former Tumwater City Councilman Walt Jorgensen were ranked highest by precinct committee officers Saturday among the 11 applicants seeking to fill the seat left vacant by retiring Thurston County Commissioner Bob Macleod.

Nine of the 11 applicants participated in a largely informational forum Saturday to introduce themselves to the public and the 37 PCOs who live in Macleod's district.

The PCOs also were asked to vote for their top three applicants, which resulted in a nonbinding, point-based ranking that will be forwarded to PCOs countywide on Monday. They will then recommend three applicants to the Thurston County Board of Commissioners, said Jim Cooper, chairman of the Thurston County Democrats.

All of the applicant's names will be forwarded to the Monday meeting; the non-binding vote and ranking is a tool the countywide PCOs can use to help them make a decision, Cooper said.

The commissioners will then select an applicant to replace Macleod within 60 days. If they can't, it becomes the Governor's decision, he said.

Saturday's three-hour meeting, held before about 100 people at the Thurston County Courthouse, started with the nine applicants introducing themselves, followed by questions prepared in advance, and ending with questions submitted by audience members.

Jack Turner, who has worked as liaison with the Skokomish Indian tribe and is vice-chairman of a Thurston County storm-water advisory board; former Olympia School Board member Russ Lehman; and former Port of Olympia Commissioner Jeff Dickison were absent.

Lehman's friend, Stephen Bray, sat in for Lehman and spoke on his behalf.

Also in attendance were Macleod's administrative aide Bogni; Tumwater City Councilwoman Valenzuela; former Tumwater School Board member Corinne Tobeck; former Tumwater Councilman Jorgensen; Ed Crawford, a retired State Patrol employee who ran for the Senate two years ago in King County; Gayle Broadbent, land-use advocate and Adam's Cove spokeswoman; Richard Emde, a coordinator of volunteers at the state Capitol; and Erik Landaas, a county health department employee who considered a run two years ago.