I’ve got to hand it to Fred Obee. In our 80-minute in-person chat, whenever I challenged one of his arguments as false and without merit, he remained level-headed and even-tempered. It’s a fine quality for a city councilor to possess.

For the most part, Obee’s positions were rock solid. “We are making good progress on housing,” he said. “[But] we’re not making a huge dent in our need for affordable housing. 

“It was just two years ago that the city allowed for denser infill in neighborhoods. You know how long it takes to plan a project and get it through the bureaucracy. That’s not great comfort to someone who’s looking for a place to live now. But building housing on the golf course is not the solution to that either. It would be 10 years from now that there would be housing on the golf course. 

“This is not the time to slow down the Friends who are doing this great job of taking care of the course for almost no cost of the city. And it would be foolish for the city to not accept the gift of their entrepreneurial spirit and their willingness to try to make it more accessible. I trust the entrepreneurial spirit of Port Townsend residents to take us to someplace good.”

As one possible alternative to housing along Blaine St., he mentioned the city’s current road shop location off Redwood between F and Fort Worden.

On the city budget: Some things in the city’s sustainability plan “are good and will help avoid the fiscal cliff... I would support a modest increase in the library levy. But there have to be adjustments made for income-generating projects that have gone by the wayside, such as the annexation of Glen Cove.

“They’ve said that they’ve paid down debt and that’s one of the reasons that reserves have gone down. That is a legitimate use of reserves to pay down debt. But we need to continue to watch whether city reserves remain steady or decline. The council has to give the city manager instruction on what they expect out of the budget to maintain steady reserves. You can fund the things that are most critical and put off things less critical. Maybe you don’t hire someone, or you delay a project...” 

To which I would counter, lack of staff and repeated stalling of infrastructure replacement/repair have contributed significantly to the state we’re in.

On the race: “I think Dylan Quarles has valid perspectives. He brings good energy to the race, and I know he’s working at it. In the end, my experience in leadership roles in business and in nonprofit management and community involvement is really what separates us. I bring a stronger portfolio of skills to the race.”

On communication: “The city should be way more responsive to citizen concerns. It’s not just the golf course. When people erupted in dismay over the charges at the new pay parking lot downtown, the city responded, “That’s a private parking lot. We don’t manage that, so that’s not really our problem. Here’s the number of the state attorney general. You can file a complaint.’ 

“What they should have said was, ‘We think it’s pretty terrible, too. We’re going to look into it.’ They’re coming around to that now, but this is how slow they are to respond. They seem to have a lot of trouble communicating with the public. I think I’m uniquely qualified to help mend some of those communications.... Government transparency is a core belief of mine.”

Who will I vote for? Both Quarles and Obee are intelligent, articulate, and committed men. Both think the City should abandon plans for housing on Blaine St. Nonetheless, after watching Quarles in action, I’m convinced he has the pulse of young people and those most affected by our current housing crisis and national decline. 

When a young Co-op cashier recently told me they’re living in a bus, I asked them if they knew others their age who were living in vehicles. “Oh, just about everyone,” they replied. 

Quarles not only knows this intellectually; he identifies body and soul with working people struggling (and often failing) to survive. He also knows that without permanently affordable housing, we will experience an ever-increasing lack of caregivers and service providers for older adults. Neither candidate is perfect or blemish-free. (Who is?) But this 80-year old is voting for Quarles.

In two weeks, I’ll comment on some of the remaining races. Even if you don’t value my opinion, I urge you to delay submitting your ballot until you’ve reviewed the four League of Women Voters candidate forums: Hospital, Oct. 16; Port, Oct. 21; Quilcene School Board, Oct. 22; and Port Townsend School Board, Oct. 23. Links at www.lwvwa.org/Jefferson, with video posted shortly thereafter.

Jason Victor Serinus is a critic of culture, music, and audio. A longtime advocate for rights, equality, and freedom, he is also a professional whistler. Column tips/feedback: jvsaisi24@gmail.com