The Bainbridge Island Review encourages voters to elect the following candidates on Nov. 4.

County Assessor: Paul Andrews

Andrews has experience in land surveying, property assessment, and technology. As senior project manager for the Pierce County assessor/treasurer’s office, he converted that office from paper-based to digital, and has used those skills for 19 years to improve accessibility at the Kitsap County Assessor’s Office.

He has experience working with government from the outside as well as in, and has worked to create applications that make the assessor’s office and its records more accessible to users. He expects demands on the office will grow as the economy improves, and he wants to continue to create applications that can help the office meet user needs and be more transparent.

Andrews has the best experience and knowledge for the job.

County Auditor: Dolores Gilmore

Gilmore has worked for the Kitsap County auditor’s office for 30 years and for 20 years has served as the county’s elections officer. As elections officer, she has implemented innovative accessible-voting programs. The department received a national award this year for implementing accessible-voting options for voters with disabilities, including an accessible online voters’ guide and ballot delivery system and early accessible voting at locations throughout the county. She collaborated with accessibility advocates, community leaders, and elected officials in developing those programs. She and the committee collaborate on public outreach to promote accessible voting.

As auditor, she would continue to protect the integrity of Kitsap County’s elections. She said the auditor’s office has lost employees to budget cuts, although the workload stayed the same. She said cross-training employees from the different divisions of the auditor’s office can help streamline the office workload and improve efficiency.

Gilmore is clearly the best choice.

County Clerk: Dave Peterson

Dave Peterson’s experience as clerk, his understanding of the job and its responsibilities, and his efforts to make the office more efficient and accessible make him the clear choice. The county clerk is the official record keeper for the Superior Court. Peterson has been working to make court records electronic and more accessible to the public, streamline case management and document management by establishing e-filing of court documents, and seeking new ways to assist residents as they interact with the justice system.

Let’s let Peterson continue doing his good work.

County Coroner:  Greg Sandstrom

Sandstrom, coroner for 16 years, will continue to partner with other counties to share services and expenses on a larger scale, saving Kitsap County money; and continue to evaluate practices and policies to find efficiencies and cost savings wherever possible.

His priority is to “bring every asset the Coroner’s Office has to the table to prevent the unnecessary loss of life in Kitsap County.” The Cribs for Kids Program, which he started last year and is funded by donations, provides safe sleeping conditions for babies from low-income families. He’s active in the countywide Suicide Prevention effort, and is working with law enforcement and others in developing improved response to individuals with mental health issues. He works with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and first responders to put on mock crashes at high schools. He partners with the  Navy and others to provide premature death prevention programs.

Sandstrom is the best choice for the job.