 South Kitsap Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2025/2026 Edition – January 2026
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy New Year, everyone!
As we welcome 2026, I want to take a moment to reflect on my first full year serving as your Kitsap County Commissioner for District 2 (South Kitsap). What an honor and privilege it has been — from my swearing-in on December 31, 2024, to these early days of 2026. As a dedicated servant leader, I am deeply grateful for the support of my friends and colleagues. I especially want to thank my entire family, my beautiful children, and, more importantly, my best friend, my confidant, my dear wife Melanie; all of you keep me grounded every day.
I'm committed to working tirelessly every single day to represent every resident of South Kitsap and our entire county, from Burley to Banbridge! I have the unique privilege of meeting many different people on a wide range of passionate subjects, and I can confidently say we all have much more in common than we may think! I cherish this. Your family, your talents, and your contributions to our community mean the world to the success of our children's future, and I truly appreciate you. We only succeed together, building the vibrant, thriving home we all deserve. These everyday moments are the heart of why I serve: to protect and strengthen the community that allows all of us to protect and pursue our lives, liberty, and our pursing true happiness.
Now, together, we've made incredible progress over the past year, from advancing key infrastructure to ongoing efforts in economic development, public safety, and collaborative county-wide initiatives.
Despite our serious ongoing budget constraints and rising costs that challenge our ability to fund essential services, we've stayed laser-focused on what matters most: protecting our families, strengthening our neighborhoods, and creating a brighter future for everyone who calls this place home.
Shout-Out: I'm incredibly proud of our hardworking county employees—they keep everything running smoothly with a special dedication and pride. Though never enough, I thank them often, and I encourage you to do the same! Whether it's recognizing great service or sending a quick note of support, it means the world to each and every one of them. They work tirelessly with our community's best interests at heart.
Thank you for your continued engagement, passion, and trust. Your stories, concerns, and ideas inspire and guide my work every single day. Please keep them coming—your input truly makes a difference. Warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to you and all your loved ones.
"We are South Kitsap – working together for a better, more unified future."
Your Servant Leader,
Oran
Kitsap County Commissioner,
District 2 (South Kitsap)
Key Highlights from 2025
This year delivered several milestones we can all celebrate:
- The grand opening of the new 74-bed north tower at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale—a game-changing expansion that improves access to high-quality healthcare, eases pressure on emergency services, and boosts specialty care for our entire region.
- Steady progress in economic development to support local businesses initiatives and create good-paying jobs right here in our community.
- A rock-solid commitment to public safety and child protection, the foundation of any thriving neighborhood. A major win: The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office successfully transitioned to new, more reliable firearms (replacing the previous Sig Sauer models ahead of schedule), backed by the Board of Commissioners' support for up to $400,000 in funding to equip our deputies with dependable, lifesaving tools.
- Enhanced security at South Kitsap Regional Park, including better lighting, improved trail maintenance for clearer sightlines, and strong collaboration with community partners to tackle vandalism and encampments—making these spaces safer and more welcoming for families and visitors.
- Ongoing enhancements at South Kitsap Regional Park to create inviting places for children to play, families to gather, and neighbors to connect. Exciting updates are on the way in 2026—stay tuned!
Ongoing District 2 Priorities:
After more than 20 years of planning and community engagement, the Harper Estuary Restoration Project is becoming a reality. On December 8, we approved a construction contract with Scarsella Bros., Inc. to replace the undersized culvert with a 120-foot bridge.
This $9 million project—fully funded through federal, state, and local sources—will restore tidal flow and reconnect a high-priority estuary while enhancing public access. Construction begins in June 2026, with bridge completion expected by January 2027 and overall project completion by April 2027.
The final design includes improved stormwater treatment, pedestrian access across the bridge, and a place to hand-launch small watercraft. A public meeting is planned for February 2026 to share details about traffic impacts, park access, and the construction timeline.
This investment restores a vital estuary while preserving access for the community. It's the kind of patient, thoughtful work that delivers lasting benefits for South Kitsap. Project updates will be shared through the Harper Estuary project webpage and GovDelivery email notifications. Community members are encouraged to subscribe to GovDelivery to receive the latest updates.
  On Banner Forest Heritage Park, I heard your concerns loud and clear. Thanks to the thoughtful feedback from public meetings, surveys, and community members at this time no thinning, restoration, or other work is slated for Banner Forest. We will keep engaging stakeholders, allow more time for review, education, and open dialogue, and maintain full transparency every step of the way.
 Gorst Solutions
We're also actively supporting the Gorst PEL (Planning and Environmental Linkages) working group to address long-standing transportation challenges in the Gorst corridor. This includes exploring options like a proposed six-lane bridge at Ross Point with a dedicated pedestrian path to boost safety, ease congestion, improve mobility, and support commerce, while supporting our vital national defense workforce and enhancing a vibrant Gorst business district that supports our local economy. A possible option includes a full access bridge at Ross Point.
  None of this would be possible without our strong partnerships with community organizations, local stakeholders, and especially the dedicated citizen advisory groups. Your voices ensure our decisions reflect the shared values we hold dear.
Looking Ahead to 2026-27
My priorities remain clear and steadfast:
- Promoting transparent, responsive governance
- Welcoming genuine community feedback at every turn
- Tackling the issues that matter most to you: affordability amid rising costs and tight budgets, enhanced public safety and child protection, reliable and well-maintained infrastructure, and supporting local businesses and an economy that works for everyone in South Kitsap and countywide
These challenges aren't easy, but anything worth doing is never easy!
My Perspective
While we've made significant progress in 2025, I want to be direct about the challenges South Kitsap families continue to face heading into 2026. These issues affect all of us, and I'm committed to working at the County level—and with our state and federal legislative partners—to find solutions.
Affordability and Cost of Living
I hear it from families every day: the high cost of living is putting pressure on household budgets. Food prices, gas costs, healthcare expenses, childcare, and housing affordability are stretching South Kitsap families thin. While many of these issues are driven by state and federal policy, the County has a role to play in addressing what it can control—such as streamlining permitting, reducing regulatory barriers to housing construction, and keeping County fees reasonable while maintaining essential services.
Public Safety and Staffing
Keeping our community, especially our children, safe remains a core focus of my work. A sense of security is foundational to daily life in Kitsap County and shapes how families, neighbors, and local businesses experience their community. Public safety is not just about policies or programs, but about the people who serve and the systems that support them. Careful planning, collaboration, and ongoing attention help ensure these essential, core county services continue to meet the needs of the community in a responsible and sustainable way.
 Transportation and Ferry Service
Ferry service changes affect South Kitsap commuters. While we secured state funding to keep Kitsap Transit fast ferries operating through the World Cup next summer, long-term sustainable funding remains a challenge. I'll continue working with Kitsap Transit, Washington State Ferries, and our legislative partners to ensure reliable ferry service for South Kitsap families who depend on it for work and connection to Seattle.
  Infrastructure Needs
Deferral of maintenance has caught up to us! From aging facilities like our courthouse to roads, bridges, and utilities, your county's infrastructure needs investment; it cannot be deferred any longer. We need to prioritize infrastructure that keeps our community and county employees safe, connected, and prepared for growth.
Balancing Our 2026 Budget While Protecting What Matters Most
The Board of Commissioners adopted Kitsap County's 2026 budget in December. We approved $650 million to cover all County operations, including $137.9 million for the General Fund that pays for law enforcement, courts, staffing, and essential services South Kitsap families count on every day.
We balanced this budget with a 3 percent across-the-board cut and a one-time $300,000 drawdown from County reserves. Nobody likes cuts, but here's the reality: a $4 million cost increase over 2025—driven by inflation in insurance, medical care, jail health services, and other core expenses—meant we had to make tough choices to live within our means while protecting essential services.
Every family in South Kitsap knows what rising costs feel like. County government faces the same challenges. State law limits how much we can raise property tax revenue each year. To fit these increased costs into flattening revenue, every department reviewed programs and identified efficiencies. We spread cuts equally across all departments and implemented a hiring freeze that eliminated nearly 25 vacant full-time positions from the General Fund.
This approach significantly reduced ongoing costs while allowing us to maintain core services and public safety investments.
Our six-year forecast shows these budget challenges will continue as costs keep rising faster than revenues. I'm committed to working with County leadership and community partners to identify lasting solutions. Budget materials are available on the County's Budget and Finance page.
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Top 10 2025 Kitsap County Accomplishments
Over the past year, our County made steady, meaningful progress by staying focused on responsible governance, community partnership, and long-term solutions. Even amid fiscal constraints and growing service demands, we worked collaboratively to strengthen public safety, protect our rural character and natural resources, support families and vulnerable populations, and improve how County government serves the public. These accomplishments reflect our shared commitment to listening to our communities, removing unnecessary barriers, and delivering results that responsibly position our County for the future. Here are 10 things I'm especially proud of from 2025:
- Continued strong support for community and rural code compliance, including a sustained emphasis on abating nuisance properties and enforcing violations to protect neighborhood quality of life.
- Secured funding for the Harper Estuary Project, advancing critical environmental restoration and long-term shoreline resilience.
- Strengthened coordination and collaboration with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to support regional economic stability and shared infrastructure needs.
- Initiated community conversations on Banner Forest, ensuring public input helps guide future environmental decisions.
- Enhanced security measures at South Kitsap Regional Park to improve safety for families, visitors, and community events.
- Conducted the county’s first comprehensive community survey since 2004, providing valuable insight to guide future policy and investment decisions.
- Opened the 74-bed Pacific Building Shelter, expanding safe, inclusive shelter options for families, women, men, children, and pets.
- Streamlined permit review operations, reducing the average review timeline from 21 weeks to just four weeks and improving service for residents and businesses.
- Adopted a responsible 2026 budget while setting a clear course toward sustainable, long-term fiscal solutions.
- Completed key leadership recruitment efforts, welcoming a new assistant county administrator, community development director, and public works director to strengthen county operations and service delivery.
WSDOT South Kitsap Fish Barrier Project: Major Improvements Starting Spring 2026
WSDOT will begin a $192.6 million court ordered project this spring to remove fish barriers at five locations under state Routes 3, 16, and 166 in the Gorst and Port Orchard areas. This critical work will replace outdated culverts with new bridges or larger culverts designed to allow fish to swim freely while restoring salmon and steelhead habitat.
The project includes construction of a new roundabout at the SR 3/SR 16/West Sam Christopherson Avenue intersection. Work will happen in stages:
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2026: Gorst Creek, Kabelac Creek, Ross Creek Tributary (starts)
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2027: Ross Creek Tributary (continues), Onley Creek, Gorst Creek Tributary (starts)
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2028: Gorst Creek Tributary (completed)
Construction will involve road closures with detours and temporary bypass roads. WSDOT is hosting an online open house through Jan. 13, 2026, to share how they will keep travelers moving through work zones. Plan for possible weekday travel delays on SR 104 near Kingston this fall as well.
These improvements benefit salmon recovery while addressing infrastructure needs. It's significant work that requires patience from commuters, but the long-term environmental and transportation benefits are worth it.
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Bremerton Ferry Schedule Changes This Winter
Washington State Ferries is implementing winter schedule changes from Dec. 28, 2025, through Mar. 21, 2026, that affect Bremerton commuters:
- No 4:50 a.m. Bremerton departure (early morning commuters can take the Kitsap Fast Ferry's 4:40 a.m. sailing)
- The 3:00 p.m. departure from Bremerton moves to 2:40 p.m.
- A new 10:15 p.m. Bremerton to Seattle sailing
- Sunday schedule changes for refueling (8:35 a.m. Seattle and 9:50 a.m. Bremerton departures canceled)
These temporary changes accommodate construction work at the Bremerton terminal. Plan ahead and check current schedules and alerts at the Washington State Ferries website.
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Coming in 2026: Inside the Courthouse
Coming up, I'll be giving South Kitsap residents an inside look at one of our County's oldest buildings—the Courthouse. This historic structure is showing its age, and we've been exploring renovation needs to ensure it continues serving our community well into the future.
This Commissioner's Corner video project will highlight the building's history, current challenges, and what we're doing to preserve this important piece of Kitsap's heritage.
Watch for the video release in the coming weeks on BKAT's YouTube channel.
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Your Voice Matters
These challenges require collaboration between county government, state lawmakers, and community members. I want to hear your stories, ideas, and priorities. Your input helps me advocate for South Kitsap at the county level and informs my work with state legislative partners who represent our district.
Share your thoughts with me at oroot@kitsap.gov. Together, we can tackle these challenges while building on the progress we've made.
SIGN UP!! Stay Informed, Stay Safe!
Emergency alerts keep Kitsap residents updated on potential life-threatening dangers—from countywide winter storms to neighborhood gas leaks. Sign up for alerts for your address to receive timely notifications, whether you're at home or away.
Visit kcowa.us/alert now to sign up and learn more about KitsapALERT.
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Ways to Engage in Your Community!
Step In, Speak Up: Be Part of Your Neighborhood Community Council
Join the Manchester Community Advisory Council (MCAC) at their regular monthly meetings the first Tuesday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Manchester Library.
Visit the MCAC webpage for more information including meeting dates, agendas, and membership. You can also view materials from prior meetings and learn about council members.
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Connect with the County
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