It is refreshing to have three Island County commissioners who communicate effectively, debate intelligently and make compromises in order to reach decisions.

Incumbent Jill Johnson, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat John Fowkes, a relative newcomer to politics. While Fowkes’ lack of political experience is not necessarily a bad thing, and his background in small business would be a welcome perspective on the board, we see Johnson as the best choice in this race.

An Oak Harbor graduate, Johnson is an unabashed supporter of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and its mission. Con-sidering the base is Whidbey’s largest employer, it makes sense.

While some may consider Johnson’s take-no-prisoners approach at times to be a bit off-putting, her toughest stances are supported by her convictions.

You may not agree with everything Johnson says, but she is deserving of a degree of respect for sticking to her principles.

While we might encourage Johnson to introduce a measure of diplomacy at times to her public delivery, we don’t want to see her lose her passion or compromise her principles along the way.

In addition to supporting NAS Whidbey and Growler practices at Outlying Field Coupeville, Johnson is one of the few community leaders to step up and make some effort to improve the housing shortage on Whidbey Island.

We want to see Johnson continue to lead the charge for more affordable housing.

Johnson is also well versed on the issue of mental health, and she is right that a solution needs to come from the state. She is relaying to a state board working on the problem some of Island County’s most tragic examples in recent years, among them Keaton Farris, a mentally ill man who died of dehydration inside the county jail.

Treating the mentally ill is a problem statewide, and dealing with people in crisis inevitably falls on counties, and specifically law enforcement, said Johnson, adding jails are not the right place for people suffering from serious mental health issues.

For those reasons and others, we urge voters to return Johnson to continue the work she has begun.