Vancouver resident K.D. Jelineo offers her support for County Council candidate

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

I met Michelle Belkot in July 2021 when she was running for the Vancouver School Board seat 2. My perception of this woman was she had a passion for the Clark County community. Michelle had goals and ideals of what she was wanting to accomplish if she had been elected to the Vancouver Public School Board. Unfortunately, many people were disappointed she was not elected. 

But despite defeat, Michelle was not finished yet. She still cared about Clark County and believed with extensive experience; she could make Clark County a better place to live. Michelle feels it is important to keep our communities safe with more qualified law enforcement officers and wants to develop interventions to alleviate our county’s homeless problem and find solutions to our infrastructure problems in effort to support our community. 

I have lived in Clark County most of my life and during Julie Olson’s term as the councilor for District 2 for the past several years, not much has been done to address or alleviate Clark County’s problems during her service. A few facts regarding Michelle Belkot’s extensive experience includes managing and negotiating large budget contracts, has experience in asset management and allocation, and has served on various advisory boards. Michelle Belkot has been willing to ask the tough questions, while understanding the communities’ needs for safety and accountability. She is not a “yes woman” and is not afraid to stand in the way of opposition to do what is right. 

I am concerned regarding Michelle Belkot’s opponent, Kim Hamlik, she does not appear to have the fortitude to address our county’s problems. I have noticed that Kim Hamlik has been unable to give a clear and concise answer to any of the questions asked of her during the candidate forums. It is apparent by her own admission she truly does not understand the lack of communication between the Clark County Council and the residents of Clark County, nor how to resolve this issue. Ms. Hamlik per her own words, did not raise concerns regarding the COVID mandates and would be fine taking direction from the director of Clark County Public Health, Dr. Alan Melnick, because “she is not a doctor.” One of the duties of the Clark County Council is to function as a Public Health Board in a supervisory capacity. Dr. Melnick answers to the Public Health Board, not the other way around (RCW 70.05.060). I question if Ms. Hamlik understands the importance of acting in a supervisory position? Is she able to research and interview other medical professionals in the community regarding Public Health issues and Infectious Disease issues to obtain additional needed information? Since Eileen Quiring O’Brien resigned, there has not been a council member able to serve that key role of holding Dr. Melnick accountable to the facts regarding health and safety of our community, politics aside. I am unsure Kim Hamlik can advocate for the needs of Clark County residents against ambiguous policies of the Public Health District. 

I strongly encourage you to watch the interview from Clark County Today and Columbian Editorial Board “Forum” between Michelle Belkot and Kim Hamlik to understand why I support Michelle Belkot. As a county we have real problems that require real solutions, fiscal responsibility to manage a $650,000,000 budget and solid leadership for the future of Clark County, Washington. 

Michelle Belkot does not require “on the job training” to get our county headed in the right direction. Please vote for Michelle Belkot on August 2, 2022. 

Additional information at www.michellebelkot.com. 

K.D. Jelineo 
Vancouver

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