Candidates for new Thurston County commissioner spot diverge on priorities at forum

Three candidates for a new Thurston County commissioner seat diverged on their priorities, giving voters clear choices, during a Wednesday forum.

The League of Women Voters of Thurston County hosted the forum ahead of the Aug. 1 primary election. Moderator Nathaniel Jones asked each candidate audience-submitted questions that touched on hot button topics, including climate change, homelessness, law enforcement and more.

Emily Clouse, a Democrat, sat between Sarah Morris, an independent, and Terry S. Ballard, who has no party preference. Michael Steadman, also a Democrat, did not attend because he was on a family vacation, Jones said.

The candidates hope to represent the newly created District 5, which encompasses an area south of Lacey and extends up between Olympia and Lacey towards Johnson Point.

The Board of County Commissioners finalized this district last year after voters approved a measure to expand the board from three to five members.

Emily Clouse

Clouse is a veteran with a human services background who founded CARE Olympia, a nonprofit that helps youth who have been in the criminal justices system re-enter society.

“I’m not here to appease corporate interests or to maintain the status quo,” Clouse said. “I’m here to bring innovative and compassionate solutions to our community’s conversations.”

She said her primary focus would be on solutions for the county’s affordable housing crisis. To start, she called on developing a new “scattered site” plan to better manage homeless encampments. The board approved a version of this plan in 2021.

“Something like that, bringing it back into play, would be my first order of business as well as bolstering the funding sources that we do have that go into affordable housing,” Clouse said.

Though she lacks experience in land-use matters, Clouse said she would prioritize curbing urban sprawl, enhancing environmental stability, protecting natural resources and incentivizing affordable, energy-efficient housing.

“I think that we should strive for net zero with clean and renewable energy in the grid and mandate efficient appliances for new development or renovations,” Clouse said.

Clouse also said she wants to work with the Sheriff’s Office to establish a community management board that includes people with lived experience in the justice system.

“I think that we need to move beyond conventional law enforcement and into policies that really uplift restorative justice and diversion policies and efforts,” Clouse said.

Additionally, Clouse said the county should address racial equity and belonging work by taking concrete actions and establishing policies “ingrained within every facet of every level of county politics.”

Sarah Morris

As a Realtor for 20 years, Morris said she feels passionately about land-use regulations. As a first priority, she said she want to help planners and property owners overcome these hurdles.

“When it comes to the permitting process, I mean, I have walked through it with clients, and I have seen the roadblocks in the middle of the worst housing crisis that we’ve seen. … To me, streamlining the process is super important.”

She said her passion for land-use matters may only be surpassed by matters involving children. She said she supports more recreational options for youth.

“The idea of a community swimming pool, so we can get these kids out and be active, is super important, but definitely, anything that were to cross the dais that has to do with children would be extra special.”

When asked about climate change, Morris said there was no denying its importance, but she expressed reservations about energy transitions. She likened it to potentially replacing a “meth addiction with a cocaine addiction.”

“This whole idea of getting off of gas to go to electricity, I think that we just have to be very, very careful and follow the money,” Morris said.

With respect to law enforcement, Morris said this topic was “very dear” to her and she supported increasing staffing at the Sheriff’s Office.

“As a single woman, I really put a lot of trust in the fact that when I pick up and call, if there is somebody outside of my house, if I need somebody, that they will be there,” Morris said.

Terry S. Ballard

Ballard, a veteran who frequently comments at county board meetings, said his first priority would be removing county offices and departments from The Atrium Building in Olympia.

“The problem with the whole building down at 3000 Pacific (Avenue) was a big quagmire,” Ballard said. “We’re spending too much money for a building that we shouldn’t have.”

Ballard claimed the county should not be headquartered there because it lies outside of the county seat, which is the City of Olympia. However, the city annexed the area where the Atrium stands in 1964, according to city maps.

On the topic of land-use, Ballard criticized the amount of fees that developers have to pay and said these costs hamper growth.

“I want people to come into Thurston County and get affordable housing, but they can’t do so with all these roadblocks that they’re having,” Ballard said. “The (Mazama) pocket gopher is one (roadblock) that shouldn’t be there.”

The Mazama pocket gopher is a federally protected species. The county’s Habitat Conservation Plan streamlined the permit process for developers that must mitigate impacts on protected species.

Ballard also said climate change is not a “here and now” issue and the county should instead focus on improving its stormwater and septic systems.

Responding to homelessness should involve “hand-ups” rather than “hand-outs,” he said. He also called for a tough approach to crime.

“We need to get rid of drug addiction and we need to get rid of the unwanted people,” Ballard said. “By getting rid of them, we need to put them on a healthy path back into life.”

More information about the Aug. 1 primary election and the a Voter’s Pamphlet can be found on the Thurston County Auditor’s Office website.