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Whatcom County Council candidates pledge more Point Roberts outreach and budget fixes
Summary
Barry Buchanan and Misty Flowers told a packed Point Roberts forum they would push for more county engagement with the isolated community and seek budget-prioritization to address service shortfalls; candidates also clashed over program accountability and fiscal transparency.
Barry Buchanan and Misty Flowers, who are running for Whatcom County Council at-large Position A, told a full house in Point Roberts that they would increase county engagement with the isolated community and prioritize constrained budgets to protect local services. Buchanan described his background in local government and said the council is already scheduling district "community conversations" to meet residents; Flowers said she would bring a transparency and fiscal-responsibility focus to county spending.
Why Point Roberts: residents at the forum repeatedly pressed candidates to visit more often and take local concerns back to the county. Misty Flowers said residents feel neglected and promised direct outreach: "I will absolutely give each and every one of you my phone number, and you can call me anytime." Barry Buchanan pointed to the council's district sessions and said he had voted for measures benefiting Point Roberts and intended to renew contact commitments.
On budgets, both candidates described structural constraints and different remedies. Buchanan said the county must prioritize within the mid-biennium adjustment and noted state limits on property-tax increases, which he described as a long-term hurdle. Flowers blamed past fiscal choices and called for tighter spending oversight, arguing the county must use existing funds more wisely.
The forum also included a contentious claim about homelessness services: Flowers attributed multiple deaths to a local housing program she named during Q&A, stating, "22 North had 10 deaths in the last 3 years." Candidates framed such statements as calls for program accountability; event attendees asked for more detail and oversight rather than immediate policy pronouncements.
The two candidates answered questions on a range of practical items raised by Point Roberts residents — from docks to emergency services — and encouraged continued contact. The forum was recorded; sign-up sheets for the Point Roberts Registered Voters Association were available for residents who wanted follow-up.
