Bill Byrd says he still has some work to finish, so he is running for a second term as Island County Commissioner.

“I just didn’t get everything done,” Byrd said of his first term in office.

Byrd represents District 3 on the three-person board, a district which includes Whidbey Island north of Oak Harbor and Camano Island where most of the voters live.

Until 2002, tradition had it that a Camano resident held the position, but that tradition ended when Byrd beat Democrat Bill Thorn, a Camano resident, who was seeking a second term. Thorn had turned off many voters in a controversy over a road detour.

Now, another Democrat from Camano Island, John Dean, is trying to retake the position for Camano. If fund-raising is any indication, Dean is a formidable opponent. According to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, Dean, a longtime employee of the Stanwood Camano-News, has raised over $46,000 compared to just over $2,500 for Byrd.

Dean resigned as the paper’s news editor when he announced his candidacy, but still works in the production department. If he wins the election he will resign from the newspaper.

Dean said his fund-raising started early, back in October, and donations have generally been in the $5 to $50 range. His biggest fund-raiser came from an art auction on Camano that netted his campaign $12,000. “It knocked my socks off,” he said.

Since his election, Byrd has spent Tuesdays and Thursdays on Camano, and he’s emphasized improving communication between the county and the public. He helped establish the video-conferencing system that allows Camano residents to watch and participate remotely in county meetings at the county seat in Coupeville, and he said he supports efforts to put more county information online.

All this particularly benefits Camano, which Byrd said is 90 minutes away, a trip which is made even more difficult by the high cost of gas.

Still, Byrd said it’s “a real challenge” for a Whidbey Islander to represent Camano, so he’s taken another step to improve ties by purchasing a house on Camano Island.

Byrd describes the home on Sunset Boulevard as his second house, “closer to the people I represent.” He’s not changing his residency yet but said he might consider it in the future. The house is also an investment. “Values on Camano are skyrocketing,” he said.

Despite Byrd’s efforts, Dean said people on Camano Island still feel under-represented in Coupeville. That was his initial reason for running, but since then he said he’s learned that Camano people aren’t alone in such feelings.

“It’s almost global,” Dean said. “People want someone to pay more attention to their needs.”

Byrd’s unfinished business as a commissioner includes resolving conflicts surrounding the Critical Areas Ordinance and its regulation of farm activities. “It’s a big deal,” Byrd said, saying the ordinance generates more complaints than any other issue. Some small farmers feel it’s a threat to their lifestyles.

Byrd blames problems with the Critical Areas Ordinance on the State Growth Management Act, which puts an appointed hearings board in charge of county planning decisions. “We basically have a top down planning process,” he said. He’d like to see the hearings board eliminated with any planning appeals going straight to Superior Court. “The GMA is overturning what elected officials do,” he said.

Dean defends the GMA and its hearings board appeal process.

“The Growth Management Act created independent hearings boards to resolve land use disputes quickly with regional diversity,” Dean said. “Each member is an expert in land use matters. What’s wrong with that? I see no need to fight a process meant to guide us to a future we can be proud of.”

The three Republican county commissioners agree unanimously on most issues that comes before the board, but when there are disagreements Byrd often finds himself in the middle, between the more conservative Mac McDowell and more liberal Mike Shelton.

“I’m the swing vote in many things,” Byrd said.

When there was a controversial proposal to change hunting regulations on county lands, Byrd sided with McDowell to retain the existing regulations.

Dean criticizes Byrd for declining to act on new hunting regulations. “The commissioners decided to do nothing for people who fear for their safety,” he said. “Nobody seems to be watching the store.”

When there was a proposal to require that Conservation Futures money be spent by district, rather than countywide, Byrd sided with Shelton and voted against creating three spending districts.

However, Byrd said the Conservation Futures issue is not over. He’s working on his own proposal to better apportion the spending, he said. “I want a formula where the money is spread evenly.” He expects to propose something within the month.

Byrd just turned 71, but he said age shouldn’t be an issue. He’s trimmer than he was four years ago and healthier, said the retired Navy commander who later spent 10 years overseas as general manager of the Royal Saudi Ship Repair Facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. “I feel better, I’m doing great and working hard,” he said.

Dean, 56, says he will resign from the Stanwood-Camano news if he wins the election in November. To date, neither has a primary opponent.