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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 | VOL. 89, NO. 89 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Langley considers rate hike to cover $200K ‘shortfall’ By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record The Langley City Council unanimously agreed on one thing Monday night: implementing state required sewer and water regulations is a lot less burdensome for counties than for cities.
Hal Seligson Maria Cablao, Langley’s Public Works director, presented a glum estimate of her department’s finances in the sewer and stormwater funds. Langley’s sewer fund is expected to face a $200,000 shortfall in the coming year between its expenses, estimated around $470,000, and its revenue of about $270,000. “This revenue has been less than the expenses for not just this year, and it’s going even further south,” Cablao said. The shortfall is due to increased regulations and restrictions, which has translated to greater expense, and because the 1992-built treatment plant was designed for 1,600 SEE RATES, A24
Hospital bond is passing First count shows Gianni, Gordon, Hezel ahead By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record Based on a first tally of November general election ballots, Whidbey General Hospital’s $50 million expansion proposal appears to be passing. The Island County Elections Office released it’s first count Tuesday evening and according to the results, the hospital measure is succeeding with 61.75 percent of the vote. The bond needs a supermajority of 60 percent to pass. “Never underestimate what a small group of dedicated people can do,” said Joe Mosolino, paraphrasing a quote from Margaret Mead. “They can change the world.” Mosolino is chairman of Friends of Whidbey General, a citizen advocacy group that’s worked to promote the bond proposal. The hospital ran a similar measure several years ago but it was defeated and the group has been concentrating its efforts for months in areas where it failed, mostly areas of North Whidbey. Tuesday’s results show the effort paid off, Mosolino said. Tuesday’s election count also shows Rocco Gianni to be leading the race for South Whidbey School Board Position 5. Gianni captured 54.64 percent of the vote compared to challenger Betty Bond’s 45.36 percent of the vote. “I’m pretty excited, I’m pretty happy,” Gianni said. “I’ll be able to help the kids. That’s the bottom line.” The results also show incumbent Curt Gordon with a commanding lead over Ed Jenkins for Position 3 of the Port of South Whidbey’s Board of Commissioners. So far, Gordon has received
County pot moratorium discussion sparks courthouse ruckus By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record
Celeste Erickson / The Record
Christina Hilkey drops off her ballot in Coupeville Monday with the help of her pugs, Lulu and Mouchie. Election Day was Tuesday, Nov. 5. For up-to-date election results, visit the South Whidbey Record’s website throughout the week at southwhidbeyrecord.com 76.8 percent of the vote to Jenkin’s 23.2 percent. “I think this is a pretty clear statement that we need to keep heading in the same direction,” said Gordon, though he said there may be things that can be improved. Last but not least, Bob Hezel also has a hefty lead over Captn Blynd for Position 3 of the South
Whidbey Parks and Recreation District. He claimed 78.13 percent of the vote to Blynd’s 21.87 percent. “Thanks for your support and I’ll do my best to exceed your expectations,” said Hezel, in a message to voters. Finally, Initiative 502 appears to be failing. County voters have reject-
ed the proposal with 52.9 percent voting against the measure, and statewide it’s failing by 53.44 percent of the vote. According to the elections office, there are 3,500 ballots left to be counted of 18,584 and the next batch of results will be released today at 5 p.m.
Tempers flared at a Monday Island County public hearing as several residents made clear their dislike of a proposed sixmonth moratorium on new marijuana distribution and production businesses. As a result, Island County commissioners voted to table the action until today’s work session. Several local business owners, some already producing medical marijuana, felt that the proposed moratorium on new businesses would put Island County behind the rest of the state, causing them to miss out on key application deadlines. It was the intention of the board to follow suit with the City of Oak Harbor who passed its own six-month moratorium in September with no opposition. Both moratoriums are in response to the passage of Initiative 502 last year, which legalized recreational marijuana and comes with many restrictions. How those rules translate at a local level, however, remains unclear. Residents who spoke at the meeting said the moratorium would block their ability to start or expand their businesses. Many said they would lose licensing opportunities to neighboring counties who are moving forward more quickly. The state begins accepting applications Nov. 18. “You don’t have the landowners side on this,” said Camano Island resident Cynthia Jensen. “I have sevSEE MARIJUANA, A3