‘We have to do better’ on housing, says Shumeik
WHATCOM — When it comes to housing, Sharon Shewmake said people ‘have to do better’.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, but the biggest challenge is housing,” said a new state senator from Washington’s 42nd Legislative District, officially when the Nov. 8 general election was officially approved. Mr. Shumeik, who will be nominated, said.
She also recognized that public safety, flood resilience and mental health issues were important issues for legislators, but housing was her “most aggressive” plan. I said yes.
“It’s too hard to find places now,” she said. “It’s destabilizing families, working people, retirees and all neighbors.”
Specifically, the lack of housing, the lack of affordable housing.
“We have to figure out how to build more houses,” said Shumeik. “We can build or we can shrink. We support building in cities that are both eco-friendly and eco-solutions: housing impacts everything.”
Due to what she calls an inherently unhealthy vacancy rate, Shoemeik explained that it’s “too easy to be homeless.”
“It is difficult for people to recover from flooding when there is no affordable housing,” Shumeik said. “Housing prices are one of the largest parts of the budget that state (and) local governments can effectively influence.”
With 111,236 votes tallied, and an estimated 150 more votes tallied by 5:00 p.m. Nov. 21, Democrat Shoemeik is a Republican in her quest to become Washington’s next LD42 Senator. Better than Simon Sefzik.
By 804 votes, Shoemeik is looking to sack Sefzik, who was appointed to replace Doug Eriksen in January. Senator Eriksen died in December 2021 at the age of 52 after contracting COVID-19.
“Whether the voter turnout is 49.5% or 50.5%, it’s an honor to have so many people vote,” says Shewmake. “Now it is my job to represent everyone in both buckets.
With 173 precincts reporting, 70.55% of Whatcom County’s 157,580 registered voters participated in the 2022 general election. According to the Whatcom County Election Division website, the estimated number of uncounted ballots “includes only ballots currently in our office.”
The county website says, “It is not a presumption of ballots that have not yet been received.
Voting signature treatments and overseas voting are not included and can be received up to the day before certification.
As of 4pm on Thursday, November 17, Shewmake leads Sefzik with 37,884 votes to 37,080.
Democrats Alicia Rule and Joe Timmons are looking to serve as state representatives for LD42, leading Tosha Thompson and Dan Johnson respectively.
Ruhr leads Thompson with 38,651 votes and 36,110 votes in the LD42 state representative battle. Timmons leads Johnson in Race 2 of the LD42 State Representation, 38,166 to 36,320.
Thompson, a former Bellingham police officer, said when he ran for office in his first election, “I felt a real voice in law enforcement. Our community needed it to ensure public safety in Olympia.” ‘ said.
“If I run again, I will focus on public safety and focus on campaign finance reform,” Thompson said. $17,000 spent on yet another leaflet or $250,000 spent on commercials leaves a sour taste in your mouth when you’re working with flood survivors in need. remains.”
Rule, who remains the number one state legislator, said he wanted to congratulate Thompson “in a hard-fought race.”
“We may disagree on many issues, but I am deeply grateful for her service to her community and her willingness to move forward on behalf of our district,” Rule said. “I wish her the best of luck in the future.”
Rule also said she will “remain representative of the entire Whatcom County” for all those who did not vote for her.
“I ran for office in 2020 to solve problems for our community. I will remain committed to that goal wherever the solutions come from,” Rule said. .
Each election for LD42 had fewer than 100 write-in votes.
A complete breakdown of Whatcom County’s 2022 general election results can be found at whatcomcounty.us.
Both TBD tax and EMS surcharge passed overwhelmingly
Also, as of Nov. 17, Proposition 2022-6, the county’s regular property tax on emergency medical services, passed overwhelmingly by a margin of 64% to 36%.
Also passed Proposition 2022-4, a sales and use tax update to improve transportation for the City of Linden, with a margin of approximately 60% to 40%.
Known in the Linden government as TBD (Transportation Benefit District), this tax is a continuation of the 2/10ths sales tax that has been in place since 2012.
Past projects that have benefited from the TBD tax include Rhine Road Improvements, 17th Street Extension, Riverview Road, Foxtail Street and Benson Road.
Linden Mayor Scott Corsas said he was pleased with what he said was the wider community’s support.
“I am very pleased that our citizens have allowed us to do these things again in a way that allows us to do these things,” Korthuis said. We’ve seen what they’ve been doing over the years.”
Ahead of the November 8 election, Mr. Korthuis said continued support for TBD taxes will be extended to Front Street, the intersection of Fourth and Sixth Avenues on Cedar Drive, and 8th and 9th Avenues south of Front Street. I explained that it could be used for No., 10th Avenue.
On Nov. 18, Mayor Linden said Cedar Drive and 8th Avenue will be prioritized, possibly as early as 2023.
“Citizens of Cedar Drive have taken an interest in their streets for years,” he said.
Korthuis explained that the plan is to deal with storms and water first, then install a sewer system under the street, and then install a new upper part of the street.
“There are many different patchworks of cedar now,” he said. “These are exciting projects for the city in the short term.”
Korthuis also described voter support for both initiatives as “fantastic”.
“Not for my generation, but for my children and their children,” he said. “People want good EMS service. They want a nice, clean, well-maintained city.
Relocation of directors
As of 4:00pm on November 17, nearly 73% of participating voters support a bill that would reorganize the Nooksack Valley Board of Education representatives into three board districts and two general directors.
Commenting on Proposition 2022-7, Nooksack Valley Superintendent Matt Galley said:
With the passage of Proposition 2022-7, the school district will continue to have three director districts for the communities of Everson, Nooksack and Soumas, and two general director districts, said Nooksack Valley Board Chair Stephen A. . said Jones.
“This means that candidates must live within these sub-boundaries to be eligible to apply to the first three districts,” Jones said. “For two large school districts, candidates can live anywhere within the Nooksack Valley School District.”
Jones also said district residents will retain their votes for all school board seats in both the primary and general elections.
“As always, if members of our community have questions, we encourage them to reach out to one of our current board members, Coach Matt Galley,” said Jones.
Once Proposition 2022-7 is formally enacted, the seats of Jason Hutink, Mark Olson, and Sherrill Thornton will face elections next year, so new directors will be elected ahead of the November 2023 election of three of the five Directors. Constituencies are set.
By 138 votes, Proposition 2022-5, known as the Children’s Initiative Levy Lid Lift, fell short.
On November 29, the Whatcom County Election Office will certify the results of the 2022 General Election.
