Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder was recently elected as First Vice-President of the Washington State Association of Counties for 2018-2019 and will serve as president in the top leadership role in 2019-2020.

The Washington State Association of Counties has served as the collective voice of Washington’s counties for more than a century and provides training, legislative advocacy and a forum to build a statewide county legislative agenda. The association’s members include county commissioners, council members and executives from all of Washington’s 39 counties.

“It’s my great honor to serve as the First Vice-President,” said Gelder, who is 2018 chairman of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners. “As a subdivision of the state, counties play a unique role in the provision of services and programs to our local communities, often on behalf of the state.

“It is vital to maintain a strong voice of advocacy in Olympia and Washington, D.C. for adequate funding for infrastructure (roads, fish passage barrier removal), trial court public defense, and foundational public health services,” he added. “In addition, it’s important to challenge new state-mandated services that shift the burden of funding onto the backs of local residents and taxpayers.”

The association is governed by a board of directors led by the executive committee. Each year, county representatives elect officers for the following year.

Gelder will visit Bainbridge Island for one of his monthly “Walk & Talk” sessions next month.

The Bainbridge walk will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5 at the Bainbridge Island Senior Center, 370 Brien Drive SE.