Voters opted to expand the Port of Bellingham’s commission. What’s next?
An initiative on the November ballot to expand the Port of Bellingham’s Board of Commissioners appears likely to pass after Whatcom County residents voted overwhelmingly to approve it.
This comes after the Port Commission adopted a resolution in July to place the expansion proposition on the November ballot.
The latest tally released Wednesday shows the proposal passing by a margin of 65% to 35%.
The board currently includes three commissioners — Bobby Briscoe, Ken Bell and Michael Shepard. Each represents a separate district.
Commissioner Bell initially proposed a meeting last fall to facilitate an open discussion and support informed decision-making about the possible increase.
More than a dozen Whatcom County community members expressed opinions for and against the possible increase at a public hearing in December 2024. Those in favor of expansion argued the change would bring greater community-wide representation and improved decision-making for port operations. Those opposed said the move could complicate bureaucracy.
Here’s a look at what will happen next to prepare for the board to increase its number of commissioners from three to five.
First, redistricting
The port must first adopt and submit a redistricting plan to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office by Jan. 1. This means the port must create five separate newly created districts for each commissioner to represent.
The port has a draft map drawn and is currently verifying the new commission district boundaries to ensure they meet Washington state legal criteria, according to Port of Bellingham spokesperson Mike Hogan.
“We assume the five new commission district boundaries will be very similar to the five Whatcom County Council district boundaries,” Hogan told The Herald.
To align with legal criteria, the five new Port districts must:
- Be as equal in population as possible.
- Be as compact as possible.
- Be geographically contiguous.
- Have population data that does not favor nor disfavor racial groups or political parties.
- Preserve natural boundaries and communities of mutual interest.
The port plans to release a draft redistricting plan Dec. 1, with tentative plans to hold a public hearing Dec. 9 to accept public comment, according to Hogan.
“The Port Commission would then adopt the redistricting plan at their regularly scheduled commission meeting on Dec. 16,” Hogan said.
For more information or to view the draft redistricting plan on Dec. 1, visit www.portofbellingham.com/redistricting.
New commissioners election process
After the redistricting plan is finalized, two new commissioners will be elected in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election to represent the newly drawn districts.
A primary election in August may be necessary if multiple candidates come forward in each proposed new district. Only registered voters who reside within a commissioner district may be a candidate for or hold office as a commissioner of that district, according to the port officials.
The two additional commissioners would then be voted on by the voters of the entire Port District in the November election. The two new commissioners will take office immediately, with the new commissioner receiving the highest number of votes serving a three-year term and the other commissioner serving a one-year term.
Moving forward, the two new commissioners would be elected in odd numbered years, in line with the cycle of the incumbent commissioners, according to the port.
Candidates interested in running for public office, including port commissioner, can find Candidate Resources from the Election Division at the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office.
The taxpayer price tag
The estimated annual recurring cost to the port of adding two commissioners is just under $126,000 for both positions, with increased equipment costs every four to five years of about $7,000. There is also a one-time cost of redistricting.
Port officials estimate a one-time cost of approximately $200,000 for the 2026 general election, plus an additional $60,000 per position, a total of $120,000, if a primary election is required.
This is the first time since the port was established in 1920, that it will be governed by a board of five commissioners. It is not, however, the first time a commissioner expansion initiative has been considered in Whatcom County. The board adopted a resolution moving a ballot proposition forward for expansion in 2012 but the proposition failed on the November ballot that year.
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
