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January 16, 2015

Dahlstedt to chair County Board of Commissioners

SKAGIT COUNTY – In keeping with tradition, District 2 Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt Monday assumed the role of chairperson of the Board of Commissioners for 2015.
District 1 Commissioner Ron Wesen passed the gavel to Dahlstedt at an inaugural 2015 session that also stood apart as the first official public meeting for District 3 Commissioner Lisa Janicki. Commissioners rotate in the role of chairperson on an annual basis.

Dahlstedt, who begins his 15th year of service as a Commissioner, said, “I have had the privilege of having a strong, positive working relationship with four other Commissioners over the years. I look forward to the continued opportunity to work on a leadership team that now includes Lisa.”

In addition to presiding over Board of Commissioner meetings, the chairperson assumes responsibilities including representation of the County as a member of several boards and commissions. That includes the organizations that oversee elections and hotel/motel tax revenue distribution in Skagit County.

In one of his first acts as chairperson, Dahlstedt enhanced an automated system designed to ensure equity among speakers during public sessions. If, for example, individuals are given three minutes to speak, the system features a yellow light and then a red light accompanied by a buzzer when the three-minute period has elapsed. The buzzer is intended to help speakers keep within their allotted time to speak, while being respectful of others also getting their turn to speak.

“This system is preferable to the prospect of having to bang a gavel to close a person’s testimony,” said Dahlstedt, “and it provides consistency, applying the same rule across the board.”