Family-wage industry
Navy-ready jobs
Attract Navy contractors for drone-swarm boats, autonomous maritime systems, and advanced defense manufacturing at PSIC-Bremerton.
Vote Kevin Tisdel for Kitsap County Commissioner
KEEP KITSAP
Vote Kevin Tisdel
I'll do the job for you, not on you.
Fourth generation. Defending farms, fisheries, Navy jobs, and the right of this county to say no to Seattle's overflow.
4th
generation Kitsap
147k
homes vs 97k jobs — a surplus
61%
of farmland lost, 1997–2017
20 yrs
inside big-city government
Kitsap County value
Net-positive for the people who live here.
Every land use, infrastructure, and economic development decision must deliver measurable net-positive revenue to Kitsap County taxpayers and good family-sustaining jobs — while protecting the rural character, farms, fisheries, and Navy presence that define our home.
As Commissioner I will pass a Resolution and draft a letter formally requesting GMA amendments.
“Kitsap's proximity to maritime routes and defense installations provide unique opportunities for industrial growth.”
Platform
What I'll work on
No-net-loss, for real
Farmland
Kitsap lost 61% of its farmland in 20 years. TDR has not delivered. Enable a farm-to-market economy with no farm taxation.
One practical change
Environment & fisheries
Require advanced wastewater treatment to strip pharmaceuticals, plus aragonite dosing to protect shellfish from acidification.
Tourism, trails, lodging
Revenue that stays here
Surf Lagoon, farm-and-trail tourism, CNW racetrack, lodging, and a Clear Creek to Chico Creek heritage trail.
Workforce zoning
Affordability, not shortage
97,000 jobs and 147,000 homes. Repeal the regional formula. Commuter competition — not shortage — is driving up costs for Kitsap workers.
Listening first
Healthcare & hospital
Meeting scheduled. OB-GYN shortage is real. Positions will be published after the facts, not before.
Generation X
This fjord is not a suburb.
I am fourth generation Kitsap County born and world traveled. I graduated from North Kitsap High School in 1988. There is no other place on the planet like this fjord.
Nearly 20 years in big-city government taught me a hard lesson: growth does not pay for growth — you do. We will not achieve affordable housing by building apartments everywhere for King County's workforce. To restore affordable housing in Kitsap, we have to repeal the regional formula and the legislation behind it. Competition with outbound commuters is what is driving costs up for Kitsap workers — not a shortage of homes. I will negotiate to repeal that legislation. We have a right to say. The solution is workforce zoning — for the people who already live and work here.
About KevinThe work
Things to fix
Six problems. One county. Scan the row — then read the record.
01
Stop the giveaway
Land use and zoning are effectively giving Kitsap County away — taxing our workforce so other counties can house outbound commuters.
02
Surplus, not shortage
97,000 jobs. 147,000 homes. Kitsap does not have a housing shortage. It has an affordability problem.
03
Repeal GMA first
Repeal the Growth Management Act first — then Ordinance 631-2024, HB 1491, and SB 5148. That is how you restore affordable housing for Kitsap workers, not more units for commuters.
04
End the 20-year tax holiday
MFTE pardons developers from property taxes for up to 20 years and shifts school, fire, utility, and transit costs onto you.
05
Growth does not pay for growth
A 2021 county document says it plainly: “higher density to accommodate King County.” Big-city experience proves taxpayers foot the bill.
06
Farm-to-market, industrial jobs
No farm taxation. Modernize regional services. Generate revenue through high-paying construction and industrial work — with the courage to negotiate.
Corrective measures require legislative influence, negotiation, and the courage to do it.
- County Ordinance 631-2024, HB 1491, and SB 5148 (2025–26) include a builder's remedy modeled on California's approach, sponsored by Sen. Jessica Bateman and others.
- Companion HB 1235 was signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 13, 2025 (effective July 27, 2025).
- A 2021 Kitsap County document states the shift in formula: “Basically higher density to accommodate King County.”
- The Multifamily Tax Exemption incentive shifts school, fire, and state taxes to residents, plus the cost of utilities and high-capacity transit.
- Bottom line: that is a loss of revenue for the county. You make up the difference.
- To restore affordable housing in Kitsap, repeal the regional formula. Kitsap workers competing with outbound commuters for the same homes is what is driving costs up.
