Even before incumbent Jefferson County District 3 Commissioner Kathleen Kler announced she wouldn’t be running for re-election, Quilcene businessman and former school board member Greg Brotherton was being asked if he would consider running for the seat.

After some initial hesitation, Brotherton, 45, assessed his qualifications.

“I understand the nuance of our bureaucracy, both from without as a small-business owner, and from within as a school board member, and I have some ideas on how to fix it,” Brotherton said. “I know how to cut through the static to accomplish things. I was raised to believe that local government is important government and government that you can change.”

Brotherton is the second candidate to declare an interest in the seat. Ryan

Mc Allister, 30, also has declared intentions to seek the seat being vacated by Kathleen Kler, who announced March 9 that she would not file to retain the position.

Brotherton was named Young Professional of the Year by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce in 2017. In addition to the Discovery Bay Village Store, he owns Sea Change Cannabis, Disco Bay Detour and HiYu Audio.

VOLUNTEERING

After helping with neighborhood planning as a volunteer in Seattle, Brotherton moved to Quilcene, where he built the Quilcene Village Store and volunteered to help put on the Quilcene Fair. His father, Tom Brotherton, is seeking a seat on the Jefferson County Public Utility District. (See story on this page.)

Brotherton appreciated his subsequent stint on the Quilcene School Board for teaching him “a lot” about budgets, running meetings and bridging concerns.

As an employer of retail employees, Brotherton is concerned with the dearth of affordable housing in Jefferson County.

He credits growth management with preserving the county’s character, and acknowledges that his family moved to District 3 because “we wanted to take charge of our food, our shelter and our space.” He also believes that it’s become “harder than it has to be” for any number of “creative, innovative young people” and families to follow suit.

“We need to encourage innovation while taking care of our environment,” Brotherton said. “Plus, we need to get high-speed internet throughout our county. It should be a utility that is available at a reasonable cost to all of our citizens.”

At the same time, Brotherton was largely complimentary toward the county for what it’s achieved so far, even if its workings might seem “bulky and slow” at times.

“One commissioner can’t change the status quo, but working with their fellow commissioners, and the great department heads in the county, we can make Jefferson County more livable for young families,” Brotherton said.

ATTENDING MEETINGS

While Brotherton previously has been an occasional attendee at Board of County Commissioners meetings, he’s shown up regularly ever since deciding to run, accompanied by his home-schooled daughter, Sage, who took his campaign photo.

“I’m setting up a civics block, and she’ll be joining me,” Brotherton said. “We hope to explore all the departments, to learn about exactly what makes this county tick, together.”

While Brotherton said he would “defend any landowner’s rights,” he nonetheless supports the county’s current shooting range moratorium as “a legislative issue that needs a deep look.”

Brotherton admitted he was “still learning a lot” about the proposed Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort and declined to offer an opinion on it until he’d spoken with the developers, the relevant county officials, “the two sovereign nations who are stakeholders,” and more residents of the south end of the county.

“It’s already on a legal path, but I sure want to visit those kettles,” Brotherton said.

As someone who has built a house and four businesses in District 3, Brotherton joked that complaining about the permit process in Jefferson County “is how we bond with people.” He turned serious, however, as he said that process is also one of the big reasons he’s running.

“I think this is a problem we can fix,” Brotherton said. “And it’s not the employees. Those are the county employees that most of us see, and they’re great. Too often, though, they’re the bearers of maddening news.”

Brotherton praised Patty Charnas, the county’s director of community development, and hastened to add, “I learned on the school board that nothing is ever black and white when you have all the information. Our government and the hip-deep bureaucracy is a pain, but it’s also the best system that’s ever been developed for enforcing the social contract. I want to make it work for all Jefferson County citizens.”