Islanders will help decide the race for the county commission seat.

Much has been made of the 42 years that separate the two Kitsap County Commission candidates.

But 25-year-old Democrat Josh Brown and 67-year-old Republican Jack Hamilton are quick to point to an even wider chasm between their divergent visions for county leadership.

“How can an ‘ideologue’ lead the county and bring us together to solve problems?” asked Brown of his opponent during a candidate debate earlier this month.

“The term, son, is ‘leadership,’” answered Hamilton. “I have a good set of core values that will serve this county. We used to call that character.”

From development regulations to the proposed NASCAR racetrack, Brown and Hamilton have staked turf with little common ground.

“(Hamilton) is extreme,” Brown said last week. “He wants to roll back land use regulations in Kitsap County. He wants to dismantle the (state) Growth Management Act (and) develop vast acreage without community oversight. That’s what this election is about.”

In large part, Hamilton agrees land use regulation reform is a core issue of the election. But sounding the alarm of vast regulation overhauls says a great deal about Brown’s understanding of how the commission operates.

“The idea I can roll back regulations is a clear indication that Josh has no idea how county government works,” Hamilton said. “No one commissioner has the authority or ability to completely change the course of the county.”

While he may not have the authority to take the county’s reins himself, Hamilton would like to see rules eased for homeowners and businesses.

Faster, less costly and less restrictive development permitting processes could slow the rise of home prices while attracting a more diverse economic base for the county.

“We need new wealth generators,” said Hamilton, a retired U.S. Navy commander turned management consultant. “We don’t treat businesses very well. That has a lot to do with attitude and our regulatory approach. For existing businesses, it can take a number of years to expand a facility. That’s not good news for people here and it sends a message elsewhere.”

Brown identifies “economic diversity” as his “number one priority.” But rather than easing regulations, Brown says the county must concentrate on providing more educational opportunities and boosting cross-sound and local mass transit.

“What will spur the local economy is more skilled employees,” said Brown, a former real estate broker and now full-time commission candidate. “We have too many folks who go to college and never come back. It’s a brain drain on the economy.”

Brown advocates upgrading Olympic College into a four-year institution, offering degrees in fields attractive to high-tech companies.

New businesses, besides desiring sharp, young minds, will also want efficient transportation, according to Brown. That’s why he’d like to see more passenger ferries crossing Puget Sound and expanded bus service moving residents from homes to job sites within the county.

Expanding the county’s revenue base beyond sales tax, of which it is largely dependent, will boost efforts to preserve open spaces and expand other county services.

Hamilton also believes transportation is key to for a robust county economy. But Hamilton steers toward an improved and expanded roads network to achieve this.

“We haven’t built a new road in the county in 20 years, (yet) our population has increased significantly,” he said.

While ferries and buses are important, Hamilton stresses that most residents still get around by car, and will likely continue.

“We don’t have sufficient capacity on our roads to handle growth, and we’re falling farther and farther behind,” he said.

Few discussions about the county’s future fail to mention NASCAR. The proposed south Kitsap track could bring thousands of race car fans – and their wallets – to the county. But the track could come at a hefty price for local taxpayers, according to proposals submitted to the state by NASCAR event organizers.

In NASCAR, Hamilton sees “a decent idea” and “an economic opportunity,” while Brown opposes any tax-payer subsidies to support the track.

“I have an open mind and will work with track supporters, but (the track) needs to be a benefit to the county and it needs to be done right,” Brown said.

Added costs could include vast roads expansions to alleviate NASCAR-related traffic in south Kitsap, according to Brown.

Increased infrastructure in the largely rural area could be a blessing in disguise, said Hamilton, and would likely spark industrial development.

For more information on Brown, visit www.electjoshbrown.com. For Hamilton, visit www.backjack2006.com.

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Who’s backing whom?

Contributors to the race for the District 3 Kitsap County Commissioner seat follow predictable patterns and party boundaries, with Democratic elected officials supporting Josh Brown, and real estate concerns supporting Republican Jack Hamilton.

The most recent state Public Disclosure Commission reports show that Hamilton has raised $56,055 to Brown’s $42,553.

Hamilton’s largest single contributor is Cascade Evergreen, a Silverdale-based partnership that gave $12,000 so far to the campaign. Silverdale developer Ron Ross, who heads the partnership, contributed another $4,500.

While Hamilton’s largest contributors have real estate connections, Brown’s top donors are in the software industry. The biggest chunk, $5,000, comes from Paladin Data in Poulsbo, while retired software executive and Bainbridge resident Paul Brainerd gave $2,000.

Brown said the type of contributor shows a difference between the two candidates.

“The bulk of these contributions clearly means that the contributors are interested in putting polices in place that favor developers,” he said. “I am glad to have the support of local businesses like Paladin – it shows my support of education and the community.”

Hamilton said his contributors have no expectations or influence on his behavior.

“They just expect good government,” he said. “If someone thinks that I am being bought, it means they think that an individual can be bought. Nothing I do is for sale, and my contributors know that.”

Hamilton’s contributors include two members of the Kitsap County Planning Commission, Mike Gustavson and Dean Jenniges. He also received donations from Kitsap Association of Realtors’ Government Affairs Director Mike Eliason, former county commission candidate Scott Henden and Assessor candidate Kris Danielson.

Brown’s donor list includes former county commissioner Tim Botkin, Planning Commissioner Tom Nevins, County Commissioner Chris Endresen, Auditor Karen Flynn, Bainbridge City Councilman Bill Knobloch and county Prosecuting Attorney Russ Hauge.

Many of Hamilton’s contributors are affiliated with the Kitsap Alliance for Property Owners (KAPO), which abandoned incumbent commissioner Patty Lent, whom Hamilton defeated in the primary.

– Charlie Bermant