About 200 people packed the Ocean Shores Lions Club Wednesday evening to hear Ocean Shores mayoral candidates Frank Elduen and Jon Martin give their pitch for the office and answer questions on city issues.

The candidate forum, hosted by the citizens’ advocacy group Voice of the Shores, continued a series of forums for Ocean Shores races in advance of November’s 2023 general election. The ballot is full of city races this year, with the mayor’s office and four of seven council seats up for grabs.

Voice of the Shores organizer Gina Rawlings moderated the event by asking Elduen and Martin questions the group procured through community surveys. The candidates traded light jabs at different points during the forum but mostly kept remarks focused on their own platforms and priorities while agreeing on some issues.

Both candidates have prior experience with the city of Ocean Shores government. Martin, the incumbent, has served as mayor of Ocean Shores since November of 2021, when he was appointed to mayor unanimously by the city council following the death of then-mayor Crystal Dingler. Prior to his appointment he held a seat on the city council for six years.

Martin listed erosion prevention, the city’s abatement code for problem properties and making Ocean Shores a “livable city” as three of his top priorities.

“I think every day about how to make Ocean shores a better place,” Martin said. “I’m your advocate. I believe that we have a place at the table, it is important for us to get what we need to get. I believe in citizens’ involvement. From day one I have been very aggressive doing things the former mayor didn’t do. We have the opportunity to be one of the greatest cities around.”

Elduen has served on the city council since 2019. He said he would prioritize citizen engagement, water integrity and healthcare if elected as mayor.

“As a city council member I have been a strong advocate for the city of Ocean Shores. I am running for mayor because I believe in the potential of the city and the people who call it home,” Elduen said.

“I pledge to always put Ocean Shores citizens first, and commit to responsible and accountable decision making. Together we can make Ocean Shores a vibrant, thriving city, and I’m eager to serve you as mayor.”

Credentials

Martin and Elduen described Wednesday evening how personal and professional experiences outside of city involvement would lend themselves to mayoral work.

Until recently, Martin worked as a corporate manager for McDonald’s, at one point managing about 400 employees as the company’s regional manager in Alaska. He had a similar role for McDonald’s locally, but gave up the position when the city council voted to raise the Ocean Shores mayor salary to $65,000 — the highest salary of any mayor in Grays Harbor County — and assign more duties to the mayor position, which coincided with the restructuring of the city’s public works department. That salary will remain following November’s election.

Martin also owns a liquor store, serves on the Grays Harbor Public Utility District board of commissioners, the board of Greater Grays Harbor Inc., as well as the Grays Harbor County Solid Waste Board.

Early in the forum, Elduen pointed to Martin’s list of extracurricular involvements as a hurdle to serving full time as mayor.

“Ocean Shores deserves a full-time mayor who is dedicated to the city because residents are paying for it,” Elduen said, listing the several boards and committees. “How can he honestly report that he is working full time for Ocean Shores?”

Martin did not respond to the question during the forum, but told The Daily World Thursday that his other involvements have not interfered with his ability to be a productive mayor.

“I have made every single meeting,” Martin said. “I just don’t think that having multiple things is a negative. I think it’s a positive thing.”

“I think the biggest thing you have to look at is: Am I getting things done? And the answer is yes,” Martin said.

Elduen has several local involvements, including president of the North Beach Booster Club, volunteer football coach at North Beach High School, president of a local car club and as a member of the Eagles and Elks Clubs.

In 2017 Elduen retired from a 43-year career in the electrical field. Living in King County, he rose through the ranks to superintendent and took on the responsibility of managing multi-million dollar projects and 300 employees, according to his campaign biography. He was also a union organizer, and signed dozens of contractors to union contracts.

He said that experience will help him negotiate the city’s union contracts. Martin also said during the forum that he’s been successful in negotiating with unions so far and wants to work to “level the playing field” for those contracts.

Elduen said his electrician experience gave him the tools to complete projects quickly and at a low cost, saying that the city has paid a higher price on some recent projects than would be the cost in Seattle. Martin later challenged that statement, and Elduen said the city’s system’s collection building was built for more than double the price he had identified through a Seattle contractor.

Water

Water has been a major topic in recent public discourse for the city of Ocean Shores. Conversations surround two separate issues: the quality of the 23-mile system of canals and lakes owned by the city, and concerns from residents over issues with the city’s public drinking water system.

Earlier this year, Ocean Shores residents contacted the Washington state Department of Health with concerns that the city hadn’t been keeping up with testing of backflow prevention devices, which prevent potential contamination from outside sources, and concerns about a “black slime” substance coming from the faucets of several homes.

DOH officials issued a few corrective measures to ensure testing of the backflow devices. The department said the “black slime” was purely an aesthetic concern, not a risk to human health, and that the city was not required to test for the substance.

The city did test several homes and found the slime was likely a product of mold buildup within residences and not in the city’s distribution pipes.

In August the city brought in a DOH official to address concerns at a public meeting, when a few residents continued to report black slime issues.

Elduen said he would hire an independent contractor to conduct an investigation into the black slime.

“I really feel that it’s something we need to get on, and the council I’m sure will pass whatever the cost is because this is a safety issue. And it really needs to be done immediately,” said Elduen, adding it was possible the slime could pose health risks to people with compromised immune systems.

Martin said the water quality issue is important to him as well.

“We’re looking to see what the solutions are,” Martin said. “Right now the only solution they’ve given us is to increase the amount of chlorine we put in the water, and of course as you kick that up it adds a taste to the water. One of the things I need from the council is to give us the funding to do what we need to be able to do.”

He added: “As mayor, everyone thinks I have all this power to do it. But it’s the council that actually determines how much money I have.”

Funding is also a major issue for maintenance of the city’s fresh waterway system. Both candidates stated they were opposed to hiring a new city waterways manager, and stated they would follow a management plan recently created by an environmental consultant.

The consultant found earlier this year that aquatic vegetation exists at “problematic” levels in 59% of Ocean Shores waterways, posing barriers to navigation and recreation, while algae blooms can create foul-smelling water and can sometimes be toxic.

The city council has budgeted $315,000 over the next two years for aquatic plant management, including $185,000 for harvesting operations and the rest for herbicide treatment. A source of grant funding could be through the Grays Harbor Conservation District, a grant funded landowner-assistance program focused on environmental health and restoration.

Martin pointed out during the forum that Elduen was the only council member to vote against incorporating into the conservation district earlier this year.

Elduen did not have a chance to respond during the forum, but told The Daily World Thursday he voted against the conservation district because, although the district doesn’t cost city taxpayers currently, he didn’t want to subject the city to a potential levy later on.

Other issues

Since declaring his candidacy for mayor, Elduen has emphasized that he would implement “town hall” style events to allow residents to discuss city matters. He said he would continue the current “city chats” — monthly meetings on a variety of topics implemented by Martin — but town halls would add a question and answer format.

The candidates also discussed economic development in Ocean Shores, both noting that housing construction has grown quickly in recent years. Martin said he would emphasize hotel upgrades and building sidewalks, adding that the appeal of outdoor recreation, along with a golf course under new management, should bring tourists to the city. He said businesses should be encouraged by a 62% drop in the city’s levy rate since he became mayor, according to data he presented at the forum.

Elduen said bringing high-speed internet to the city would be his priority, and mentioned he would consider tax incentives for businesses. He said the future of Ocean Shores is as a tourism and retirement community.

Both said they would emphasize lobbying for money through the state Legislature, with Elduen pointing to the “ugly” fact that the city didn’t receive any money in the state’s most recent capital budget, while Martin said the task can be tough for rural cities.

“You need to have a mayor that understands how to navigate Olympia, how to talk to representatives in Washington, D.C., how to put together requests for funding, how to actually get things done,” Martin said in his closing statements Wednesday. “We’ve done a lot in a year and a half. If you decide to go a different direction, that is what you could do, but again, there’s a huge learning curve.”

Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.com.

Clayton Franke / The Daily World Frank Elduen, candidate for Mayor of Ocean Shores, speaks at a forum Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Ocean Shores Lions Club.

Clayton Franke / The Daily World Jon Martin, current mayor of Ocean Shores and candidate defending the position, speaks at a forum Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Ocean Shores Lions Club.