Candidate Close Up- Angie Homola, Candidate for Island County Commissioner District 2

Preface,
Angie Homola is fighting to retain her seat as County Commissioner for Island County District 2.

Island County Commissioner Angie Homola channeling an elf

Ms. Homola has led the county in increasing it’s tax burden on the citizens of Island County, and the future surely holds for more tax increases under her leadership to fund even more questionable county programs, while letting the necessary county services do without adequate funding.

Angie has repeatedly stated that Island County has one of the lowest tax rates in the Puget Sound area. Angie is attempting to compare us in Island County, which is a rural county, with our more built up non rural neighbors to justify the tax increases that we all know she is wishing to implement.

There are 3 primary reasons why she should be replaced by the voters of Island County;

1- Her support for increases in our taxes for questionable feel good programs while ignoring the basic services we all expect from our local government.

2- The lack of decorum in our County Commissioner chambers and the lack of respect given other commissioners who were also voted in by the residents of Island County.

3- Angie Homola’s dirty campaign tricks using county employees as political attack dogs that have cost the county taxpayer dollars and will cost more dollars in the future.

Evidence and documentation for the issues stated above:

Issue 1- Her support for increases in our taxes for questionable feel good programs while ignoring the basic services we all expect from our local government.

1- The commissioners on Dec. 14, made findings of “substantial need” to increase the current expense levy, the road levy and the conservation futures levy by 1 percent‚ plus” banked capacity.”
Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/79940492.html

2- A special assessment to fund the Whidbey Island Conservation District- Angie voted YES
The Island County commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance Wednesday approving a special assessment to fund the Whidbey Island Conservation District and the Snohomish County Conservation District, which serves Camano Island.
Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/76474247.html

3- Angie Homola and Helen Price Johnson attempted to raise taxes and remove levy lids that automatically increase taxes annually – Angie voted YES
The three county commissioners decided Tuesday afternoon to place a proposed levy rate lift of $0.16 per $1,000 of assessed value on the ballot. That would amount to an extra $40 a year in property taxes for the owner of a $250,000 home. The rate increase would generate an estimated $2 million a year for the county’s current expense fund.
Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/94872854.html

4- Angie Homola, Helen Price Johnson and John Dean implemented new utility district taxes- Angie voted YES.
Island County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed three ordinances Monday that approved the new utility following several hours of discussion and public comment.
Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/91086629.html

5.  Angie Homola and Helen Price Johnson are very liberal with your tax dollars, and are typical tax and spend politicians.
Island County commissioners voted 2-1 Monday to approve a request from the Whidbey Camano Land Trust for $310,000 in Conservation Futures funding to retire the debt on Trillium Community Forest. – Angie voted YES
Commissioners Helen Price Johnson and Angie Homola voted to approve the funding, while Commissioner Kelly Emerson voted against the proposal.
Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/sound/article/Island-County-commissioners-agree-to-help-retire-2216225.php#ixzz1hEcHABAI

6- Island County hikes taxes by 1 percent – Angie votes YES
Island County commissioners Angie Homola and Helen Johnson vote yes to increase county current expense fund, county roads and Conservation Futures levies by 1 percent. Kelly Emerson voted no.  Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/134144938.html

7- Angie Homola and Helen Price Johnson spend $2.5 million because they cannot figure out what to do with their unused prescription medication.
Source: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/116689009.html

8- Angie Homola and Helen Price Johnson cannot prioritize spending.  Beach watchers and 4H are more important than deputy sheriffs.

Issue 2-  The lack of decorum in our County Commissioner chambers and the lack of respect given other commissioners who were also voted in by the residents of Island County

1- Her behavior in regards to other County Commissioners has been appalling, all decorum in the Commissioners meetings has gone out the window because of Angie’s insistence at belittling another commissioner at every opportunity. You can view previous posts that we have made here about this behavior by following the links below or by viewing the video at the end of this post.

A very disturbing and unprofessional exchange between our county commissioners
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=116

Island County Commissioners broken culture
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=113

The supposed justification for the unprofessional attack on Kelly Emerson by Angie Homola and Helen Johnson
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=126

Continued misbehavior by 2 of our commissioners at the latest BOICC meeting.
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=124

2- Her refusal to work with another Commissioner concerning issues in her district. Angie has time and time again attempted to take charge of issues that are not in her district. She has made every attempt to avoid including the commissioner who’s district these issue reside in by scheduling meeting in the commissioners district when the districts Commissioner is away on business. This shows that Angie cannot work with other commissioners that are not of her political persuasion.

3- Angie has a history of employment by the county and it is not good. I strongly suggest that everyone that is considering voting for her take a look at these documents, they document her extremely contentious employment at the county planning department. You can see the troubles that she had at planning followed her directly into the Commissioners room by her behaviour during the meetings. Read them and make your own determination:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7126047/Public-records-re-Candidate-Angela-Homola

Issue 3- Angie Homola’s dirty campaign tricks using county employees as political attack dogs that have cost the county taxpayer dollars and will cost more dollars in the future.

1- Angie Homola, Helen Johnson and John Dean orchestrated a campaign issue against Kelly Emerson in the closing days of the last election. This campaign issue was fast tracked through the county administration not following county procedures so that they could have an election issue against Kelly Emerson

The facts are that the county due to the politicalization of the county staff has been backed into a corner. The county has already had to defend itself against one lawsuit and more are sure to come. The counties evidence against the Emersons is certainly not of the class necessary to prove anything and the Emersons and if the issue was not a political one would have been resolved 2 years ago.

We have reported extensively at Island Politics about this issue, a few of the previous posts can be seen below:

June 20, 2011- Comments on the Emerson lawsuit against Island County:
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=152

July 20, 2011- The latest in the Emerson VS Island county
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=150

July 27, 2011- Emersons release Wetlands Report- Evidence of Island County’s determination groundless and amateur
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=144

January 25, 2012- Island County Planning Department VS Emerson wetlands update
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=918

The facts are there for all to see and are direct evidence that our County Commissioners Angie Homola and Helen Johnson are using a political axe against an opponent at taxpayers expense.

Below you can view a video of one of the County Commissioner meetings. Note how Angie Homola and Helen Johnson in a very unprofessional exchange attack another commissioner over issues that are not for the other commissioners to judge. We need commissioners that respect the voters wishes, respect the other commissioners on the board and do not use the Board of Island County Commissioners as a platform to politically attack another commissioner.

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You can view another instance of childish unprofessional behavior by 2 of our commissioners by viewing the link below:

Continued misbehavior by 2 of our commissioners at the latest BOICC meeting.
http://www.islandpolitics.org/?p=124

Conclusion:

Angie Homola is your typical tax and spend liberal, during her term as Island County Commissioner she has voted YES for every tax increase that has come up. She obviously has very little respect for the taxpayer dollar as many of these tax increases only benefit special interests that Angie is aligned with.

Angie Homola’s behavior at the Island County Commissioners meetings is absolutely atrocious. She has repeatedly attacked another commissioner during the commissioner meetings and has disrupted the functioning of our BOICC so that she could elevate her politics above the needs of the people. We the people deserve better than this behavior.

Angie and her politicalization of the County Government and her insistence in attacking another commissioner has cost our county dearly. We have a planning department issue that was all started with a campaign attack more than 2 years ago that today remains unresolved by our county. Angie and Helen have the power to stop this travesty that they have brought into our county but they have chosen not to. They are attempting to keep a campaign issue alive by using county personnel, county funds and county resources to further this political attack. This behaviour cannot continue and will in the end cost our county taxpayer dearly.

Angie needs to go.

Any of the candidates running against her will return our County Commissioner meetings to the decorum necessary to function. The Board of Commissioners need to return to having the respect of the people, act respectfully to all other elected members and leave politics on the doorstep of the board room. As long as Angie is a member of the BOICC history has shown that this will not happen, the only answer is for the voters to replace her.