Ross Gallagher

Written by Ross Gallagher | 02 July 2010

Mason County has been my home for almost half a century. Four years ago when I ran for County Commissioner, I pushed aside special interests and brought back accountability in representing Mason County.

With your support I took office in January 2007. I got to work. I've worked with law enforcement to open a badly needed Belfair detachment for our Sherriff's office. I partnered with our state and congressional leaders to finally start construction on sewer projects around Hood Canal to protect the fragile ecosystem. I worked with business leaders to expand access to fiber optic connections to keep and create jobs in Mason County.

We've kept Mason Transit running smoothly to ensure transportation options for seniors are available. We worked together and got our citizens a new 911 organization to improve emergency responses across the county.

Over the past four years, we worked together and accomplished a lot of good things for Mason County.

We've also seen a number of challenges along the way, first and foremost this global recession. We have had to make some of the biggest cuts to County government in history, but I've spent plenty of "midnight oil" in producing a balanced budget.

This year we've seen a large movement in the community about the proposed biomass power plant, and there's a tremendous amount of citizen participation unlike anything I've seen in quite some time. But I want to make myself clear on this issue. I have been fighting to protect the unique and pristine water and air of Mason County every day I've been in office. I've served on the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, I've fought for sewers in Belfair and along Hood Canal, and I've worked with our Democrats in the Legislature and in Congress to get the funding for these projects.

The point here is this: clean air isn't something I started working on four days ago, four weeks ago or even four months ago. For the past four years I've been working on behalf of all of Mason County—not for me, not for any special interest—so we can keep this place as special for our children as it has been for us.

Let me also say this: In my eleven years' service on the Shelton School Board and the past four years as county commissioner, I've never prejudged an issue before voting on it.

Our job is to always look at the facts and best information available and then make a decision in the best interest of the County. We have a process in place to ensure the health and safety of our community, and on this biomass issue the process is working. Questions are being asked, and that company is going to have to provide the answers. I don't think this issue is going to be settled by the August primary or even by November. This is a process that will continue for quite some time, so it's important to keep that in perspective.

It's important to remember that there is more to Mason County than just one issue. It takes experience to reach out to the different communities in all corners of the county, sound judgment to look at all the facts, and the ability to work together and get things done for Mason County.

When I asked for your vote four years ago, the stakes were high, and now I think the stakes are even higher. I'm asking for your support to keep Mason County moving forward, to say no to special interests, and to help Mason County stay on the right track.