Bauer came out of retirement because he felt his financial expertise and other background can help the county as it grapples with budgets and other issues, he said. The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal met with Bauer just a few days after he moved into his new office to talk about his new job, plans, and future challenges.

KPBJ: What attracted your interest in the commissioner seat?

Bauer: Initially I got interested because I read about the county having financial difficulties and I had experience with financial issues in government. As I learned more about the county, which is very significant and important to many people, I saw this as a chance to do something (that made a difference).

KPBJ: Did you have second thoughts?

Bauer: You bet. We were just getting ready to leave on our sail boat. (My wife and I) both see it as an opportunity to contribute to Kitsap County and learn more about its diversity.

KPBJ: Have you considered whether you’ll run for election at the end of the appointment?

Bauer: I will run. That was the expectation of the (Democratic) Party. Originally I thought I would do it for the 18 months but the more I looked at it, I knew I would need to come in with a long-term commitment because these issues will not be solved in the short run.

KPBJ: So you’re giving up on those retirement plans?

Bauer: We’ll do more local sailing and have different kind of adventures. This will be the first time I will go to the county fair and the 4th of July Parade because we were always gone in the past.

KPBJ: What do you see as top priorities facing you in office?

Bauer: I don’t have any preconceived notions. What I’m doing now is meeting with every significant community interest in my district — city officials, advisory groups, tribes — to try to understand the issues and what they’ve been working on. I’ve been spending a lot of time inside the organization to see how the county is operating, and also with organizations outside the county. Clearly, the most immediate priority is to try to get an understanding of the budget process. We are looking at fairly significant cuts next year — that will take a lot of homework and understanding of the issues.

KPBJ: You must have at least some thoughts on the top priorities?

Bauer: We know growth and transportation are the big issues. But in terms of specifics, I’ll know more after I talk with a lot of folks…

KPBJ: What are your immediate plans?

Bauer: I’m listening. I don’t have a personal agenda for the most part — the agenda is the people I serve; and getting a handle on finances is an obligation.

KPBJ: What are the biggest challenges with regards to finances?

Bauer: The 1 percent limit (on tax increase) is one issue — the property tax limit is not going to support the organization over time. The second issue — a lot of the land is in military bases and while they’re great because they generate jobs, they don’t pay taxes. The third thing is that the county relies heavily on sales tax and if areas like Silverdale incorporate, the sales tax goes away — that’s a long-term issue, maintaining the relationship with Silverdale. If they do incorporate, I think you’ll find heavy restructuring of county government.

KPBJ: What do you see as solutions?

Bauer: If I saw those, I wouldn’t have written the letter to run for office… One way or the other, the county will survive but the form of services may change, and that will have significant impacts. You have to find a way to bring stability in the short term, and for the long term you have to do contingency planning — like any (private) corporation that needs to do strategic planning. This is a big public corporation, we are a business and we face the same issues of needing to look down the road and anticipate changes.

KPBJ: So how are you enjoying working full time instead of sailing?

Bauer: The commute is not fun and I’m not a morning person; for years I’ve encouraged all my friends to retire — and here I am, having a lot of fun this week. I’m surprised how easily you can step back in and be energized by it… It’s a great way to come out of retirement. This will require hard work and sacrifices, but I think there’ll be more rewards (too). It will be a kick.