Amanda Funaro

Describe your leadership style.

It is my job as a leader to take responsibility. My decisions are informed by many points of view and I gather input and consider all stakeholders. While I strive to find consensus, I’m not afraid to make a hard call if that’s what needs to happen. The more diverse the roles offering input the more inclusive the decision. It is also my job to make sure that the people counting on me know that they are heard and that I will act on their behalf. I think that’s why I’ve got a good batting average in decision making. Have I ever made the wrong call? You bet. The only people who don’t are the ones who never get out there and make a decision. When I’ve made the wrong call, I admit it, do my best to be transparent about it, fix it, and learn from it.

Who inspires you?

My daughter Sabina inspires me. Everything I do, and how I do it matters, because she  —  like all our children  —  is always watching. I hope to be an example to her of how to live: to trust her instincts, to learn from mentors, and to know her own mind. I expect her to be kind, generous and helpful, to be strong for others when they can’t be, and to listen not just to what is being said aloud, but also to what people show her. She inspires me to always strive to be the best version of myself.

Who has been your greatest mentor in life? How so?

My grandfather, Al Elgin. From the time I was small, he has always provided me with wise counsel. He was an early adopter of technology. He taught me to stay curious about how things work; everything from mechanics, to organizational structures, to the inner workings of the human spirit. He was raised in extreme poverty, so he has always been very resourceful and able to build anything. I learned from him that anything could be built, repaired, or repurposed if we simply take our time and give the task at hand our care and attention. He taught me to be patient and how to figure things out, how humility is always greater than pride, and that love and time are the greatest gifts you can give to anyone. My grandfather taught me to always have a 5-year plan, my own set of tools, a little money set aside, and faith at least the size a of mustard seed.

We’re all human, and people make mistakes. Please describe a failure you have experienced in your life, and what you learned from that experience.

Years ago, I was the director for a large childcare facility, which was ideal because I could bring my young daughter to work. I developed a summer enrichment program for school-age children and was stretching myself thin trying to get the program started and properly manage my staff. One day I received a complaint about a teacher leaving children unattended. I was tired, it was late, and I decided to address it the next day. The next morning, I left to accompany the enrichment program without talking to the teacher. That afternoon I came back to find my daughter sick and learned she had been left on the playground for an hour by the same teacher. I think it taught me two valuable lessons: to recognize my own limits in how much I can juggle simultaneously, and that it is always best to address an issue head-on and quickly.

What has been the most difficult choice or decision you have made in the past four years?

My most difficult decision in the past four years —  taking on a major leadership role at Good Man Sanitation — also led to one of the clearest: deciding to run for county commissioner. Taking complete responsibility for a business that provides a critical service in three counties was a stretch from my previous work as a bookkeeper, finance manager or staff accountant. As operations officer, I have more than doubled our revenue and our staff, improved employee compensation, expanded service offerings to customers, and become an advocate for onsite sewage systems in Jefferson County, thereby helping many folks stay in their homes. Saying yes to the challenge has been rewarding and given me the confidence to say yes to a much bigger challenge: becoming your next District 2 Commissioner and addressing affordable housing, improved infrastructure, and increased economic development.

If you could instantly change one thing about the way the county operates, what would it be?

I’d improve the communication flow between commissioners, the county administrator and the various policy-informing boards/committees/taskforces. This is always important, but especially so in times of crisis. Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic time, it’s been critical to have coordinated efforts and clear public information. During several significant moments, both early on and more recently, information-sharing has been hard to come by and has led to missteps and some less than ideal situations. I would like to see the county have a more transparent information flow, allowing commissioners to be fully and equally informed in real time. 

What’s more important to you; a commissioner that serves her/his district, or one that represents the county as a whole?

Being a commissioner who serves both my district and the county as a whole is of primary importance to me, and I don’t believe the two are mutually exclusive. We elect a commissioner from each of the three districts to better represent the broad regional interests of our county, but once elected, it’s a commissioner’s job to represent the needs of Jefferson County as a whole. 

What specific ideas do you have that will help the Jefferson County economy rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic?

We need to look both to our past and to our future. It is helpful to reflect on what has worked to stimulate our unique local economy in the past, and to be mindful of the values we want to carry forward as a community for our future generations and long-range resilience. Specifically, focusing on improving our infrastructure via wastewater management, broadband access, and building affordable housing all seem like logical steps to simultaneously stimulate the tax base, create jobs and provide much needed housing. 

What long-term solutions should the county pursue to combat the issue of homelessness?

Finding long-term solutions for combating homelessness will require a multifaceted approach and will not be solved by any single organization or entity. The “County” is first and foremost the people, and I would encourage everyone to do one good thing. Donate to a shelter, volunteer, help out at the food bank, consider building an ADU to rent to local people at a fair price —  there are many contributions each of us individually can make. As for the county, we could consider donating county-owned land to housing projects that will be held in trust for people experiencing housing insecurity. We can further create pathways to a long-term solution by moving the dial on better wastewater management regulations, improving county permitting for low-income housing, and planning for greater building density.

What should be the priority, and how much funding should be dedicated to that effort? 

When addressing homelessness, the county’s first priority should be making sure that people experiencing homelessness have a stable shelter. The annual cost to provide supportive housing — affordable housing plus supportive services — is roughly $22,500/year per person. The annual taxpayer cost for emergency services, jail stays, and state hospital visits is approximately $40,000 per person. “Shelter first” as a motto makes sound financial sense, as well as being morally responsible. 

What has been the board of commissioners’ greatest strength over the past four years?

The greatest strength of the Board of County Commissioners over the past four years has been their willingness to start addressing some long-delayed issues and challenging projects that have been on hold, like housing and wastewater management. I’d also like to recognize their ability to work from home, hold meetings by Zoom, and alter how they interact with constituents in these past several months.

What has been its biggest weakness? What would you do to change that?

The taxpayers are our customers, and we should treat them as such. I would advocate for a review of the departments and ask the county administrator to work with the BOCC and department heads to evaluate the efficiency of each department so we can do a better job of serving the needs of our community. What can we learn from how other counties do things? Are there efficiencies we can create, such that citizens don’t have to call five separate offices to get a question answered? As we move more of the county’s daily business online due to COVID-19, this is also an opportunity to examine our technology and systems and streamline processes to get our systems working together more smoothly.

What voices in the community do you feel have not been adequately heard by county officials?

The voices of our local minority residents, our working poor and those experiencing housing insecurity have often not been adequately seen nor heard by county officials. For example, at a recent Housing Task Force meeting I learned that 43 percent of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in Jefferson County live in poverty. I’d like to open up communication with neighboring tribes to learn how we help change this statistic.What’s the biggest issue that has not received enough attention by the board? 

While the board is looking, and will need to continue to look, at improving infrastructure, increasing affordable housing, and further economic development, the biggest issue that has not been on the table is our long-term freshwater resources. As the county grows, increased population density, particularly in Port Hadlock and the Tri-Area, will impact these resources and we need to be prepared for that.

What board practices do you feel need to be changed and how would you implement such changes?

The Board of County Commissioners has a very large docket of work, which often requires all day Monday to accomplish what needs doing. I would like to see the board offer some regular meeting times that are not scheduled during working hours, to allow working residents to make public comments and address the board. The Port Commission currently does exactly this, and it helps allow voices of working people to be heard more fully. I’d also be interested in exploring holding the BOCC meeting at least once a quarter in the other two districts, to facilitate hearing from county residents who might not otherwise be able to attend meetings in Port Townsend.  

What should the board be doing to increase transparency and guarantee greater public input?

With the current COVID-19 limitations of public gatherings, it is more challenging than ever for people to attend meetings. I think continued use of the local radio station and recorded public meetings is very helpful but does not always allow for public comment. It would be great if there were a well-publicized phone number residents could call-in to record questions or comments, which could then be played during meetings. Doing this may promote more public input; not all our residents are comfortable sending written letters or email.