I’d like to encourage voters to vote for Jim Palmer for Island County Auditor. I have known Jim Palmer for 15 plus years.

I was amused by reading Clairann Haney’s letter a couple of weeks ago and want to clear up a few things. Ms. Haney did not run against Palmer in the general election, she was eliminated in the primary by a wide percentage of the votes.

I met Jim over 15 years ago. He was the owner and operator of the Radio Shack store in Oak Harbor and on South Whidbey. He made a business decision to sell these two stores and go into business appraising. He has also written several articles for the Business Week magazine out of Bellingham, which is available at our library.

Jim was already elected to the city council before the county auditor’s job became vacant, which leads to the present, why Jim’s name was selected to appear as a write-in vote by concerned citizens, and there were over 400 votes.

Ms. Haney seems to be confused as to a political machine endorsing Jim Palmer. There were serious errors produced in the auditor’s office during the time Shelia Crider took over as an appointment. These errors cost us, the taxpayers, a lot of money, according to the Whidbey News-Times.

Jim Palmer is a very detailed person and is one who goes over his work to make sure it is correct. To us taxpayers, this would turn out to be a savings in real money.

Hal and Lynette Richardson

Oak Harbor