County Clerk Sharon Franzen to Retire in December

Island County Clerk, Sharon Franzen, announced last week she will resign from her elected office after serving island citizens for the past 29 years, seven of them in the elected position of County Clerk. "This past year has been one of personal challenges, as I have been called upon with more frequency to deal with family health-related issues," she said in a memo to the Board of County Commissioners. " . . This decision was not reached easily, but after much thought and soul searching."

Ms. Franzen's last day will be Dec. 15. The Washington State Constitution requires the political party with which a vacating office holder is affiliated to submit the names of three people to the Board of County Commissioners. Ms. Franzen is a Democrat.  The Board of County Commissioners has asked the party to submit names by Friday, November 13. Commissioners will interview the three applicants during a public meeting before appointing one by a majority vote. The hope is to have a successor in place immediately following the effective date of Ms. Franzen’s resignation, Dec. 15.