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Building Trust, Fostering Inclusivity
Oct 30, 2024
By Paulsen 4 Council
A Vision for Effective Government Representation
In order for people to feel included in the governmental process, they must first have trust in the officials which represent them. Building and maintaining that trust is the cornerstone to effectively representing the community.

I am proud to have worked with individuals from all parts of our community at all levels for well over a decade, building that level of trust. It is this investment in building trust that earned me an overwhelming majority of support, by almost 10%, amongst Orcas Island voters in the primary. I was able to win this sweeping majority on the island where both my opponent and I live and where we are best known.

It is not enough to make vague promises which have no hope of being fulfilled. We must be honest, forthright, and most importantly realistic in our work to assure that we don't lose the trust that our community invests in us.

Our county has an opportunity to move forward in an open and transparent manner with new leadership that is not coming to the table believing that they have all of the answers. Instead, we need leadership that understands that it is the responsibility of our leaders to do the hard work of seeking out citizen input, collaborating with partners, and honoring the efforts and time of every county staff member.

We must acknowledge that for too long, marginalized and underrepresented individuals in our community have not had their voices properly elevated in a way that makes them feel heard, respected and included in the governmental process.

The challenges facing San Juan County in the coming decade cannot be met with the same approaches used in the past. To do so will only perpetuate the growing disconnect that our residents feel they are experiencing with county leadership.

I look forward to working with my fellow Councilmembers to bring new, inclusive, and most importantly effective processes to San Juan County government.