Crist, Marriner reelected to ‘friendly district’

Island Rec had its first-ever contested election Tuesday, with incumbents Roberta Crist and Alan Marriner running against respective challengers Mike Kaill and Tom Munsey.

Crist apparently beat Kaill 1,139 votes to 846. There were still hundreds of absentee ballots to be counted, but Crist’s election appeared safe.

Marriner’s lead was much larger. He was winning with 1,287 votes to 505 for Munsey.

Island Rec is one of the smallest special districts in the county. It offers a variety of recreational programs and works to develop parkland on San Juan Island. Probably the biggest controversy ever faced by the district was when people mistakenly thought the district was allowing the filming of “Practical Magic” at San Juan County Park. It was actually the San Juan County Parks Department, a completely different entity, and this controversy helped lead to Island Rec picking its new name to clear up the confusion.

As such, Island Rec is considered a “friendly little district.” It’s been a friendly little election too.

Crist and Marriner hoped a win in Tuesday’s election would be a validation from the community for the work they’ve done on the board over the past several years.

Kaill and Munsey said there has been no acrimony whatsoever in their campaigns. They said they tried to bring to the limelight their belief that the district needs to expands its services to different segments of the community. Kaill and Munsey said they have gotten a little criticism from some people in the community for running against the two incumbents, but they say this is a democracy, and that Island Rec is a taxing district.

“It’s right to question what (Island Rec) is doing and whether there’s a better way to do it,” Munsey said.

Kaill said he has a reputation on the island of being a “maverick,” and that he has “appreciated the chance to make a change” at Island Rec.

Kaill said Island Rec focuses a lot on recreational sports programs, which is fine, “but that there’s a lot of other things to do on the island.” He would like to see Island Rec focus more on programs teaching people an appreciation of the island and its environment.

Crist said “so far it’s been a painless” campaign. She has been on the board since 1995 and had never had to run before. She believes re-election would mean that the community likes the direction Island Rec is going.

“(Being re-elected) would make me feel good,” Crist said. “I’m excited.”

Munsey said in his campaign that he would like to see Island Rec concentrate more on programs for seniors. Programs for teens and children are great, he said, but the district needs to expand to serve a bigger segment of the island. “They need to think about it,” he said.

Marriner said he has noticed that many people on the island take advantage of Island Rec programs, without necessarily realizing they are in fact Island Rec programs (such as summer softball, roller hockey, etc.). He thinks having an election is stimulating interest in the district and the issues it faces.

For statewide results visit State Election Results site.

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