[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6493695,"mediaKeyId","5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3","parentId",5503325,"title","Skagit County commissioner announces retirement effective at year’s end","audioSeconds",69,"startMs",1149000,"endMs",1218000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3&start=1149&end=1218","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3/thumbnail_1149000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6493695/Skagit-County/Washington/Skagit-County-commissioner-announces-retirement-effective-at-years-end","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493695-98a3a65b6498b1d526e753535acced8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064968&Signature=YOd6ml1Tnhs3RuiUPmgpEfzAHuqomlQPvaooQzhKGs0frS0TMzY9MYyWCJiWrppRw3bLPr5khh1E1R9sl6CuXJFcXohDoMefKka~VP9Wqm0wHKIFoTv~Lb8zWCboav2INUifR1jHDOGZsrwAtklXEmkP-Lq8LS2NqDeKYWtpnUyFrW0HaTJZseynVeY6XxS2GHfwwGZjFLSqUjJdyBeSBPKSTfrGdQsWhi3RoMctdNsfdHZrEln5Lwg1CeMD9eqXtt-Emw9hTbf6EMhmDpBMOaanVuUYoGF6udY1JQ23~ML-ruAxqN614v6s0jzyycjgc4~x2UIBIwlikdzQ~JdrZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Skagit County","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","During the July 29 Skagit County Board of County Commissioners meeting, a county commissioner announced plans to retire from the board effective at the end of the calendar year.

The commissioner said in remarks that a press release from the commissioner's office was issued that morning announcing the retirement and explained the decision as a personal choice to spend more time with family. “I am, I am going to be leaving the seat as of the end of, the calendar year here,” the commissioner said, adding that the move will allow more time with grandchildren.

The commissioner described the expected appointment process: the two remaining commissioners will appoint a replacement from three nominees submitted by the Skagit County Democrats, and that appointee would need to run in 2026 to retain the seat in the normal election cycle. The commissioner said employees received advance notification of the decision.

Why it matters: The departure will create an interim vacancy on the Skagit County Board of County Commissioners and trigger a local appointment process followed by an election contest in 2026.

Ending: No vote or formal personnel action was taken at the July 29 meeting; the commissioner said they plan to finish the calendar year in office.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Skagit County - Record of the Proceedings - Tuesday Session","oneSentenceSummary","At the July 29 meeting, a Skagit County commissioner announced they will leave their seat at the end of the calendar year; the replacement process described involves three nominees from the Skagit County Democrats and appointment by the remaining commissioners.","taxTitle","Skagit County, Washington","taxId",5125,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6493697,"Lake Cavanaugh event loses bicycle participation after North Shore road closure, resident says",98,369000,467000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3&start=369&end=467","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3/thumbnail_369000.jpg","/articles/6493697/Skagit-County/Washington/Lake-Cavanaugh-event-loses-bicycle-participation-after-North-Shore-road-closure-resident-says","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493697-a7980b15e77eab25854609f9afda7195/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064968&Signature=hWyCimbD6N174FF6TPOjfXYghXQSiZ~bkKJjwjpN8EKaEAGYIAtYeI7LrFOFJpsY1Tbx1NRlOHde1G5bPHAkTL~6LJt6PSDPnfLIaRib05UK6-w16zbWSc0ey9ZYxl3sMJPLhW9sMyKxUd4LfKSS-MH~nMAUvY27~Gdl1whWBtqU7Emx9~CrdSOSjSfs8ItvxwNmRUHLAnBDgIvQ6JFpUQDiwpVjeE-0j8Qya3nefH1PS9HhsN6hyLS4hVDZlR01hyonMVrzELX6Fb79dsgkKF5xAPxbx7uauEluoBaWz0Lym6lymhTucdcis6lnNxcgaQoqbp8LtspHFPR~ny9ivw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 29 Skagit County Board of County Commissioners meeting, Loretta Humble, who identified herself as “Tweety” from Lake Cavanaugh, said organizers of the Once Around Lake Cavanaugh event were forced to exclude bicyclists this year after an insurer refused to cover bicycles for the event because a portion of North Shore Road is closed and unsafe.

“To host this event, the community must receive insurance and a county road use permit. There was no problem this year attaining the road use permit, but the insurance company will no longer insure the use of bicycles for this event,” Loretta Humble said.

Humble told commissioners the closed portion of North Shore has a roadway that has “fallen off down the slope toward the lake,” that debris sits between safety barriers and that public works crews cannot reach the area to clear it. She asked the county to “Please expedite the restoration of North Shore.”

Commissioner Wiesen acknowledged the comment during the public-comment period and later said he would advocate for North Shore when he attends a County Road Administration Board meeting this week, citing the need to match infrastructure and traffic as agritourism and other uses expand. Wiesen said he enjoyed recent conversations with residents at local events and emphasized the county’s budgeting trade-offs when addressing road repairs.

Ending: Commissioners did not record a formal directive or vote on the North Shore repairs during the July 29 session. Residents urged expedited repairs and said insurance restrictions are limiting community events.","A Lake Cavanaugh resident told Skagit County commissioners that a closed, deteriorating section of North Shore Road and an insurer’s refusal to cover bicycles forced organizers to bar cyclists from the community’s annual event.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6493699,"Residents, officials press Skagit County to boost public defense funding as caseload limits change",210,109000,319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3&start=109&end=319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5503325-4e56a4dcf8db05c07bfb1b5916122ea3/thumbnail_109000.jpg","/articles/6493699/Skagit-County/Washington/Residents-officials-press-Skagit-County-to-boost-public-defense-funding-as-caseload-limits-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493699-c09c8b5d57f1acbd16cde65375abbf09/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064968&Signature=kUWmW4S7LSmWdkh~mSQimkj0q~ujbIKMlQIyOIbkForiazyvcHyQ6gXVzhGTOl6AVUncQaPoa~Xox1svxQY3O59kMJhux5N5Wo0cvaTrm4171~a5H8z2fWgcXCbfCOyO~1tp0~qnko66YsN~Fi5~JIoDqLP~nmj6116A5ZpUvweH6bDh8TJ1SCd7zxsEezXUcLm4pJrjBSbd-Lhby11E70XHy4RtDv3XVgNZyCgjrreGbRoZg0zOgeA55pKDVH1VK6DYXOk3Wn6MEJHBgi-V4Wnms~krsmhw9O4AiH3vx68A5h4RjvK062yvA3E9qSfLJiOC8KVkQ2V79c5s6w9TtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 29 Skagit County Board of County Commissioners meeting, a resident and county officials urged the board to increase funding for the county public defender’s office ahead of a scheduled statewide reduction in public defender caseload limits.

Rebecca Peck, a member of the public, told commissioners that “The right to legal counsel is a core American principle” and traced the right to counsel through U.S. history and recent litigation. Peck cited a 2013 American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit over mounting caseloads in Mount Vernon and Burlington as an example of how excessive workloads can deprive indigent defendants of effective counsel.

The comments came as commissioners discussed county budget figures. A commissioner reported the Skagit County 2025 budget for the public defender’s office at $5,984,000 and said the prosecutor’s office is budgeted at $6,700,000. The commissioner noted the prosecutor’s office received about $722,000 more than the public defender’s office in 2025 and said counties are pressing the state to cover a larger share of public defense costs: “the state needs to pair pay a much greater percentage, and we've requested 50% of the cost of public defense needs to be paid.”

Why it matters: Washington state is scheduled to phase in lower caseload limits beginning Jan. 1, with a target of 120 cases per defender over 10 years, and local officials said counties currently shoulder a large portion of the cost of indigent defense. Commissioners and commenters said inadequate funding can slow cases and undermine the Sixth Amendment guarantee of counsel.

Commissioners and commenters discussed several related points: the county’s prosecutor’s office includes civil functions that make direct dollar-to-dollar comparisons with the public defender’s office imperfect; the county uses an office of assigned counsel when conflicts require outside representation; and county officials have asked the state to assume a greater share of public defense costs. A commissioner said a recent court ruling found the Washington State Association of Counties has standing in litigation over funding and that the case will continue through the courts.

Speakers at the meeting included public commenters and county officials who stressed the constitutional stakes. Jerry Chavez (public defender) and Rich Wyrick (prosecutor) were named by a commissioner as officials watching the litigation and capacity issues, though the transcript did not record remarks directly from them during the July 29 meeting.

Ending: Commissioners acknowledged the issue and described it as ongoing; no formal vote or directive to change the 2025 budget was recorded in the meeting minutes on July 29.","At the July 29 Skagit County Board of County Commissioners meeting, public commenters and a commissioner urged greater funding for the public defender’s office ahead of statewide caseload-limit changes and ongoing litigation over who should pay for indigent defense.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Skagit County commissioner announces retirement effective at year’s end

Lake Cavanaugh event loses bicycle participation after North Shore road closure, resident says

Residents, officials press Skagit County to boost public defense funding as caseload limits change