Mason County Housing Authority asks commissioners to guarantee executive director salary as it pursues new low‑income units

Good morning, commissioners. I'm Becky Kronquist, chairperson of Mason County Housing Authority, and this is Chris Kaye, our soon to be board member, George Blush, our long term board member, April might be — she's trying to get on Zoom. (Becky Kronquist)

The Mason County Housing Authority told the board it has a pair of memoranda of understanding it wants the county to continue: one allowing the housing authority to use the Public Health conference room for meetings and receive clerical support to take meeting minutes; another asking the county to pay the salary of a full‑time executive director for up to the next five years, at a proposed amount of $85,000 annually.

Why it matters: Authority members described long‑running financial and management problems that left several properties in poor condition and with unpaid subsidy and debt when the current volunteer board began work. Authority leaders said recent property sales and management changes stabilized the portfolio but that hiring a paid executive director is necessary to oversee planned development and to avoid past problems that they tied to lack of oversight.

Becky Kronquist told commissioners the authority inherited “a house in the ’30s that was in horrendous condition” and extensive unpaid subsidy and debt, and described steps the board took to stabilize properties, remove criminal activity, and bring the portfolio up to code. She said the authority has cleared most back debt, renovated…