I am writing to explain why I support Ally Pickard for commissioner of the Port of Centralia. Probably most of us are not unhappy with how the port is doing. Centralia Station is coming along nicely; development is going on in other areas.
There does seem to be a rising concern about traffic.
I looked and found that $205 of my property tax went to the port. Not a lot of money, but enough that I am interested in how the port is run; and that is the rub, how it is run.
There seems to be significant hostility toward public oversight. I have never attended a port meeting, but I have read about them in The Chronicle and watched videos of meetings.
The port is overseen by three elected commissioners. Currently, it appears that two of the commissioners are closely aligned with the director. There seems to be only one commissioner who questions anything the director says or does. To exercise oversight, questions need to be asked. Maybe questions are asked, but it is out of sight of the public.
A bigger problem I see is that there is outright hostility toward those citizens who attend the meetings. Public input is restricted; they feel the need to have a security person at the meetings.
The director said “I seem to attract idiots,” referring to some in attendance. This is an unforced error on the part of two commissioners and the director. In my opinion, their job is to hear the concerns of the citizens whose tax money they are spending and whose community their actions affect.
There is no question that Commissioner Julie Shaffley is qualified for the job. She has great experience. However, she seems to be unwilling to consider the possibilities of other points of view.
I think a change is necessary so the board of commissioners can reflect the community they represent.
Don Wilson
Centralia
