For the second time in a week, the North Kitsap Herald Editorial Advisory Board split its vote down the middle as its members sat down to talk county politics with “the ideologue” and “the kid.” Both Jack Hamilton and Josh Brown have notable strengths that would make either an excellent county commissioner.

But both also have weaknesses that are just as important and noteworthy.

“We don’t have an ideal choice in this race,” one advisory board member observed. True.

Huge, sloppy issues are on the county’s plate right now and during the next four years, it’ll be up to the commissioners to do the dishes. At stake is everything from a rampant county budget, and the proposed NASCAR track to growth and the Critical Areas Ordinance. With commissioners Chris Endersen and Jan Angel on opposite sides of the fence on several big issues, whoever is elected will carry the swing votes on some fairly weighty issues that will impact Kitsap County from Port Orchard to Hansville for years to come.

That said, oi a 4-3 decision, the board gave its nod to Brown. Before the readership jumps to any conclusions, the call was not — repeat — was not based on Brown being a Democrat and Hamilton being a Republican.

In the end, it came down to who would work well with others to get things done for the common good of Kitsap County.

No question. Hamilton’s got the edge in terms of experience. His Navy career alone is longer than Brown’s lifespan. His resumé is lengthy and so is his public service record. But the majority of the board found him to be too rigid and questioned just how well he would work with others in such a capacity.

“Jack doesn’t cut it for me,” one member commented, noting that Brown, although inexperienced, seemed to be the better choice of the two in terms of his ability to compromise and negotiate.

Another, who also supported Hamilton, pointed out that the candidate was sort of like the National Rifle Association because even though the member believed in his principles, his positions on the issues at hand were not always agreeable. That, too, was notable and drove home the perception that the candidate might not be a team player. Hamilton was also described as caustic.

Another board member brought out a glimpse of Hamilton’s temper as the two went round robin on the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council. In the end, Hamilton raised some valid points about having commissioners serve on the KRCC, but he had basically contradicted his opening remark on the issue by the time he finished on the topic.

But Brown has also flip-flopped on issues. In the past, he spoke against NASCAR. But Thursday, he said he was willing to take a closer look. (For the record, the majority of the board is against the proposal.) NASCAR, he said, is not the solution right now, but it might work under the right circumstances and if the benefits to Kitsap County outweighed the problems.

Hamilton, who seemed to back the proposal in the past, said it wasn’t a “yes/no question.” He then discussed the importance of negotiating the matter and not simply dismissing it.

Even so, we took his NASCAR comments like: “If we don’t bring economic development here, it will go elsewhere” and “It’s our best shot at economic development” as a prolonged nod for the track.

As for not only keeping business here but bringing new businesses in, Brown seemed to employee creative out-of-the-box thinking to put a stopper in what he called the “brain drain” Kitsap County is facing as its bright minds go elsewhere for work.

One member surmised that in four years Brown might be a stronger candidate than Hamilton but added, “I don’t think Josh can do it. He’s too young.”

Questioning Brown’s proposal to create a new light industrial district in Kingston, this same member pointed out that the downtown area lacks the room for such development. Even so, areas along Highway 104 would be and have proven in the past to be ideal for business parks.

With the county facing a budget shortfall of $4 million by 2008, one member pointed out that Brown’s inexperience would definitely be a detriment in that he didn’t seem to grasp the dollars and cents side of government or take note of the fact that “the era of big spending is over.”

Hamilton has the experience when dealing with big budgets but,the majority of the board was left wondering just what sorts of cuts he would make in order to bring the county out of the red. Members of the board were also left questioning just how far he was willing to go to protect property rights.

“I hold the belief that private property is the basis of all wealth,” Hamilton said, noting that it should be protected by balancing the needs of the landowners with requirements. “Yeah, I like property. I worked like hell to buy mine.”

Although he said he would like to improve communication with the public, Hamilton outright dodged a question on Initiative 933 — which he reportedly supports — and scoffed at an article he was handed by an advisory board member that questioned the potential costs of I-933.

The two candidates agreed that the Growth Management Act isn’t perfect, and while Hamilton, who described himself a “student of the GMA” said he disagreed with the county’s interpretation of the document — he wasn’t against it outright.

In terms of the GMA and growth in general, Brown said a balance must be found to accommodate the growth that is coming in the form of 100,000 new residents over the next two decades or so. Would it be high-rises or open land, he was asked.

“It’s not an either/or situation,” he responded. “We have flexibility, and we should use it.”

Brown’s understanding of land use was above average but, given the position he hopes to attain, could prove problematic for Kitsap County, some members agreed.

But when he said he was a quick study and hard worker it was difficult not to believe him.

He didn’t lump North Kitsap — or Kitsap County for that matter — together, either. Meaning he realizes, as he put it, “the unique communities” that many are trying hard to retain.

Hamilton seems like more of a one size fits all guy as far as NK goes, and that if the round peg doesn’t fit in the square hole, he’d do his best to shove it in.

As far as whether Hamilton would team up with Commissioner Angel against Commissioner Endresen, one board member pointed out that he would more likely bring a 1-1-1 situation to the trio as opposed to a constant 2-1 vote on bigger issues.

When Brown was posed with the question of how he would handle the “swing vote position,” he said he didn’t see the position in that context at all.

He also said he would work with commissioners Angel and Endresen on ideas and issues, both theirs and his own.

“Patty Lent didn’t have a vision for the county,” Brown said, noting that he viewed the job as an opportunity to work with local leaders in pursuing ideas that will improve the region.

The majority of the board agreed with the idea that teamwork is an important component in any government — both between the board of commissioners, the commissioners and county staff, and the commissioners and the public they represent.

Despite his youth, the North Kitsap Herald endorses Josh Brown in his bid for Kitsap County Commissioner for District 3.