Haven competing with Hover for commissioner spot in Okanogan County

In Okanogan County, voters will choose a candidate in the upcoming election for Commissioner District #2 between incumbent Andy Hover, a Republican from Winthrop, and Katie Haven, a Democrat from Twisp. 

Hover

"I have been an Okanogan County Commissioner for almost four years now," Hover told The Star in an email. "In that time I feel proud about the state of financial affairs that I have helped bring to Okanogan County. I feel proud that I can see county government working more efficiently for taxpayers. I also take pride in the fact that the Okanogan County Fairgrounds are being utilized by more people due to the Commissioners budgeting money towards

maintenance of public facilities."

"Land use issues seem to be the most key issues on the table right now," Hover said about issues he's currently focused on. "I feel that the approach to solving these issues are listening to everyone's concerns and determining if there are options that provide what the majority of people are looking for as a vision of what Okanogan County may be like for our children." 

"As a lifelong Okanogan County resident, I have seen the changes that this county has

undergone and is currently undergoing," Hover said, explaining why he feels a voter should choose him. "I feel that when I contemplate a decision, I attempt to put myself in place of every person who may be affected by that decision to understand better the ramifications of my actions. I feel that a County Commissioner works directly for the people as their representative. I believe that government is a service to the taxpayer and, as such, should work to be as efficient as possible with the use of taxpayer dollars.

"The commissioner position "requires knowledge of management and process, which I possess," he continued. "I feel that there are numerous subjects which Okanogan County should be considerate of, including personal property rights, economic prosperity, housing needs of middle income individuals, water issues, as well as many others that Okanogan County Commissioners must be prepared to learn about and address. I feel that I have the qualities necessary to represent the diverse people that call Okanogan County home." 

Haven

On her website, Haven lists water, climate change, health care, and county government as key issues facing the county. 

Haven elaborated on her thoughts on these issues in an email to The Star.

She said that water, climate, and health care "all have one thing in common - how we handle them will have a serious impact on our lives for the long term. The approach taken by our county so far is to either ignore them, in the case of climate change and health care, or to postpone making hard decisions, in the case of water. Climate change and health care are not something a single county can fix, but we can be involved in the larger conversations that are taking place.

"We can choose to participate in state programs that have money to spend on local projects that will improve our resiliency and provide jobs," Haven continued, offering ideas for solutions. "We can accept invitations to meet with our other elected officials who are discussing ways to make our local hospitals economically viable and able to remain open. 

"Managing our most precious resource, water, in a way that allows us to enjoy our traditional rural lifestyle with abundant agriculture, thoughtful development and healthy thriving fish habitat is possible," she said, "but it requires a strong leader who will bring ALL voices to

the table and look at realistic options that won't end in costly lawsuits." 

Haven said that participation by the public is important and that transparency with county government "is fully within the control of the commissioners." 

"I want to make sure that all residents have access to the public discussions that are taking place, and can easily find the information they need so they can participate if they want to," she said. "We need more public input - not less!" 

Haven offered her thoughts on why someone should choose to vote for her. 

"As a former Chief Engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, I have decades of experience managing a complex operation, bringing people together to solve problems and making hard decisions by listening to input from all points of view. A large part of my job was about anticipating needs, planning for potential problems, and making sure my crew had the tools they needed to get the job done on time. These skills of confident leadership, decision-making and collaboration are what our county needs right now.

"My approach is to be proactive," she continued. "Rather than waiting for something to happen, I look for what's coming and have a plan ready. I will go out into the communities and talk to people to find out what their needs are and seek out resources to get those needs met. I will make it a priority to ensure that the county's records are up to date so that we do not expose the taxpayers to liability or lose out on opportunities for funding sorely needed projects. I will respond when people take the time to contact me with their concerns."