Commissioner hopefuls offer visions for county

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 17, 2026

The three candidates for Island County commissioner have staked out different political positions and offer competing ideas for navigating a tough budget outlook ahead of the Aug. 4 primary.

Satin Arnett, a Camano Island Democrat, describes herself as a progressive and recently earned the endorsement of the Island County Democratic Party. Grant Shaw, also a Camano Island Democrat, calls himself a moderate. Michael Van Pelt, a North Whidbey resident and Republican, was endorsed by the Island County Republican Party.

The three candidates are vying for the District 3 position, which covers much of North Whidbey and Camano Island. Commissioner Janet St. Clair isn’t seeking reelection.

Arnett is a community organizer and a nonprofit leader who’s been active in the Democratic Party, serving as chair of the Washington State Democratic Black Caucus and co-chair of the Affirmative Action Committee for the Washington State Democratic Central Committee.

She founded Stanwood-Camano Alliance for Equity, or SAFE, which was instrumental in changing the leadership on the Stanwood School Board after members turned away from inclusivity policies.

“I’ve seen the amazing things that can happen when we all work together,” she said, noting that community members filled school board meetings and spoke their minds month after month.

Grant Shaw is a well-known community volunteer on Camano Island. He is a leader on the Freedom Park Association Board of Directors, an elementary school booster club president, a school and nonprofit volunteer and a seasonal Santa Claus.

Shaw said growing up in a fishing family taught him the value of hard work and his career in retail management gave him experience overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets.

“My years of volunteering throughout Island County taught me how to build partnerships, bring different perspectives together and find practical solutions to community challenges,” he said. “Those experiences have shown me that the best results come from listening first, working collaboratively and focusing on getting things done.”

Matthew Van Pelt is a Navy veteran and the owner of three Whidbey businesses — a busy construction company, a cabinet company and hot dog and grilled cheese carts he owns with his brother. He was a project captain for Hearts and Hammers and a scoutmaster for a local Boy Scouts troop.

He said he is drawn to public service and believes that his perseverance, dedication to hard work and his knowledge of budgeting would serve the community well.

“The best way to improve things is to get involved,” he said. “I want to help the community find a path to a better future, where we can all flourish.”

All three candidates agree that the county’s impending budget crunch is one of the top issues that will face the commissioners. County budget officials have said that revenues can’t keep up with increased costs, including skyrocketing insurance expenses.

Arnett wrote a white paper proposing what she calls “a better way to build the county budget.” She said departments typically begin with the previous year’s budget and make adjustments, meaning true line-by-line reviews rarely occur.

Instead, Arnett said she would like each department to rebuild its budget from the ground up each year, with an eye toward efficiency and a rotating schedule of more in-depth audits.

Arnett added that the county is missing some revenue opportunities. She proposed a tiered system for charging fees for short-term lodging, with corporations paying the most.

Shaw also said he would like to see a deeper, more thoughtful review of county operations with an eye toward efficiency. He said it’s vital that the county continue maintaining the current level of service while planning for infrastructure needs. That may mean reevaluating “how we do business instead of assuming the way we’ve always done something is still the best way.”

Shaw said it’s important to modernize processes and embrace technology, which may require investments but will save money in the long run.

“We should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why have we always done it this way and is there now a better way?’” he said.

Van Pelt concentrates on controlling county costs. He said he’s concerned about policies and programs that attract additional people to Island County and strain county services and the budget. He disagrees with the state’s requirement that the county plan for future population growth in its comprehensive plan.

He pointed to SPiN Cafe, which provides food and assistance to low-income people, and a treatment center in Oak Harbor, saying they draw people to the island “for free services” and increase demands on county services. Both programs receive county funding.

“We need to take care of who’s already here before we take care of new people,” he said.

Van Pelt said his views are shaped in part by family members who have struggled with addiction. Handouts, he said, are often harmful in the long run if they prevent people from taking hard looks at their lives.

Another major and related issue facing the next commissioners is whether to build a new jail. County commissioners and law-and-justice officials have been moving forward with planning for a new jail to replace the aging and outdated facility.

Both Arnett and Shaw agree that building an improved jail is needed for the safety of both staff and inmates. Both also said the facility should include space for programs aimed at reducing recidivism.

“If we’re serious about improving public safety and reducing recidivism,” Shaw said, “we need a facility that provides adequate space for treatment, behavioral health services and rehabilitation programs while ensuring the safety of staff and those in custody.”

Both candidates said the county should pursue grants and a variety of funding options.

“I hate jumping to raising sales tax every single time,” Arnett said, pointing out that the tax is the most regressive and hits families and small businesses hard.

Van Pelt, however, is more skeptical. He said the county should first consider remodeling the jail and expanding into the adjacent juvenile detention center, which he said is underused. The county could instead contract with another county to provide juvenile detention. He also questions the success of treatment programs in the jail if the inmates aren’t ready to change.

If a new jail ends up being necessary, Van Pelt, who is a contractor, suggested that a group of volunteers could look over plans in lieu of expensive experts.

“Tax increases should be the last thing we look at,” he said.