Once again voters can expect a tight race between two highly-qualified local candidates as Kitsap County Commissioner Tim Botkin goes toe-to-toe with Patty Lent.

The biggest challenge for both the challenger and the incumbent will be the budget. Everything else at this point in time is a distant second.

Facing huge shortfalls, the Board of Kitsap County Commissioners will have to make some very difficult decisions. Cuts will be made no matter what.

Even so, we need someone in office who will not only work hard to save jobs and services at the county level but who will also serve as a catalyst for business.

New and old.

While Lent definitely has ties to the local business community, we feel Botkin is our best bet in helping get Kitsap through these rough economic waters. Opponents will say he put us up the financial creek in the first place but this is an incorrect claim.

The fact is, virtually every county in the state is feeling the pocketbook pinch — some more than others.

As solutions become available for the lagging economy here, we feel Botkin will continue to avoid “putting on political blinders” and see both sides of the issues.

The county’s crisis is real.

Layoffs are real and so are lost revenues and costly unfunded state mandates.

Kitsap County needs an effective leader in place who is capable of steering us into calmer ports. We feel Tim Botkin is the answer and we support him in his bid for re-election on Nov. 5.