PORT TOWNSEND — David Sullivan will seek a fourth term as Jefferson County District 2 commissioner, he announced Tuesday.
Sullivan expects the most important issues the county would face during the next term of office would be health services and infrastructure.
“We are about to embark on a major transformation in the delivery of behavioral health care and chemical dependency services,” he said.
“I’d also like to see the completion of the Port Hadlock sewer system, which will make it a functional area.”
Sullivan said the sewer is shovel-ready. The project awaits federal or state funds to make it affordable.
“This is the key to the long-term strategy to expand the base of affordable housing in Jefferson County,” he said.
Sullivan, who turns 64 next week, was first elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008 and 2012.
“I’ve been working on affordable housing issues,” he said.
“We are also having a road funding crisis. We have a $225,000 yearly budget which isn’t enough because of all the washouts on the West End.”
Institutional memory
Sullivan said he can provide institutional memory to the county, which is especially valuable because several staff members and elected officials are new to their positions.
The county recently hired Vicki Kirkpatrick as its new director of public health and currently is looking to fill leadership positions at the Department of Community Development and the Department of Special Services.
In 2014, the county elected several new people, as sheriff, auditor, assessor, treasurer and prosecuting attorney.
“All of them are stepping up and doing a good job but there’s a lot of history that’s important,” he said.
“In order to move forward, you need to know what’s been done before.”
Being a commissioner, Sullivan said, requires versatility and focus.
“We always need to be on top of what’s going on and that keeps it stimulating,” he said.
“It’s like perpetual grad school, where we go to meetings instead of classes and there is a pop quiz every day.”
Sullivan holds a master’s in speech communication and a bachelor’s degree in human services from Southern Illinois University.
He had an earlier career as a registered nurse.
Sullivan chairs the Jefferson County Board of Health, is the vice-chair of the Jefferson Transit Board and, as a part of the board, has several regional and local committee assignments.
Before he was elected to the county commission in 2004, Sullivan served as a commissioner for the Jefferson County Public Utility District.
Sullivan said he will run on his record.
“I’m always reminded that nothing gets done through the efforts of one person alone,” he said.
“County government has done a good job saving and improving what we have, and I look forward to being held accountable in this election.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
