PORT ANGELES – Two candidates for Port Angeles city council disagree on a proposed sales tax hike for affordable housing.
Charlie McCaughan, who used to work for the city and is now a procurement and facilities supervisor for Clallam PUD, says he will vote against the proposal.
I’m not going to vote for it. There’s really no clear message where they’re going to spend the dollars right now and the dollars, how far will that really go? If you bring in prevailing wage into it, it’s not going to go very far. They’re going to have to do something with it that’s kept in the private sector or otherwise I just don’t see it going very far.
His opponent Doc Robinson, who is the executive director of homeless agency Serenity House, says he will vote for it.
So, I will be voting for it. The tax itself makes all the sense in the world, but the real question is how will it be administered in the city, and I want to be a part of that. The use of the money can be wise or it can be dumb, and we have to make sure that we apply these funds so that we’re really doing affordable housing.
The two spoke before the Port Angeles business association this week.
Robinson said better economic development would fix most of the city’s glaring issues like housing, homelessness and addiction.
And I want to focus on one thing, economic development. If we start to grow the way we keep talking about but actually do, then many of these problems will begin to dissipate. Homeless is a reflection, drug use is a reflection of despair and poverty and we have to get to the point where we actually have jobs.
McCaughan also agrees the city needs a better economy. But he says growth also needs to include better jobs here.
We also have a shortage of living wage jobs. I think the city needs to keep continue working with the Port to help make our city more attractive, to bring in industry and light manufacturing and jobs. And if we can create incentives to get them here, like permitting or just making sure utilities are available, then once we get them here make sure we keep them.
The two are running for position 5, the seat currently held by Michael Meredith. Meredith is not running for re-election.