Measure would let voters extend port commissioner terms

Bill that passed state Senate now heads to House

By Doug Flanagan
March 20, 2025 8:00 am
Camas, Government, News, Port of Camas-Washougal, Washougal

Taylor Balkom/The Columbian files (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian files)

Port of Camas-Washougal Commissioner John Spencer is advocating for a bill in the Washington Legislature that would give voters in seven port districts, including Camas-Washougal, the option of extending the terms of their port commissioners from four to six years.

The state Senate passed Substitute Senate Bill 5370 — sponsored by Sen. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, and four Senate Democrats — on Feb. 26. The bill now awaits a vote from the state House of Representatives, which had a first reading Feb. 28.

“If the bill passes all the way through, I will bring it to the commission to put forward to the voters that change for us, because I feel very strongly that this would be a good thing for the port and for the community,” Spencer said.

Spencer — along with Harris, Washington Public Ports Association Executive Director Eric ffitch and Port of Lopez airport manager Rick Hoffman — spoke in favor of the bill during a Senate hearing Feb. 3 in Olympia.

“We are a very small port,” Hoffman said during the Senate hearing. “We don’t have the big projects that our friends at Camas-Washougal have, but still, the institutional knowledge that our commissioners have is very important to us. The possibility of losing two-thirds of our commission at one time would be a very big obstacle to overcome.”

The majority of the 75 ports in Washington, including Vancouver and Ridgefield, are run by three commissioners serving six-year terms. Seven port districts, including Camas-Washougal, have three commissioners serving four-year terms, meaning that every other election cycle, two-thirds of the commission is up for reelection.

“The turnover for some in our ports is really staggering, and it’s difficult as they make big capital budget requests and (work on) projects that will carry on past their terms,” Harris said during the hearing. “It would help not to have so much turnover at certain times and to lengthen the stay for some (commissioners).”

Spencer said the Port of Camas-Washougal is “the poster child of the dangers of the current situation,” referring to CEO Trang Lam having less than a year of experience in her current role and two commissioners — Spencer and Larry Keister — up for reelection in November.

Keister has said he intends to run for another term, while Spencer said he will not.

“There’s that possibility of losing two-thirds of your institutional knowledge while having a new executive,” said Spencer, a commissioner since 2015. “I’m not truly worried that something’s going to go horrible with the port … but we want to protect ourselves from these eventualities. And we’re also the poster child for wanting to change it with zero self-interest. I’m the one pushing for it, and I’m not going to be around. This is not me wanting to extend my term. This is me wanting what I think is best for the port and the community.”

Washington statute says that commissioner terms can be reduced from six to four years with an affirmative vote from the residents of that district. No corresponding language allows voters to extend terms.

“(This bill) also helps in smaller communities, where port commissioners often run unopposed and it can be difficult to solicit two candidates for two seats in one election cycle,” ffitch said at the Senate hearing.

Doug Flanagan: 360-735-4669; [email protected]

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