Photo courtesy Shellie Milne
Photo courtesy Shellie Milne

A third candidate has entered the race for Riverside County’s 3rd District Supervisor. Earlier this month, Republican Shellie Milne, Hemet councilwoman, announced she would seek the seat currently held by Democrat Chuck Washington.

Milne is not the career politician. She first sought public office in 2014 when she ran for and won a seat on the Hemet City Council. Now she wants to serve on the county Board of Supervisors, “… because functioning at the city level I see things that the county doesn’t and see absolutely the effects made by them.”

And if elected, Milne promises to apply an entrepreneurial approach to county business. “I really trust this approach,” she said, “You try to do things very differently than the way they have always been done.”

Her goal is to have a county government that is more business and taxpayer friendly and helpful. She offered the permit process as an example of where county business could be both streamlined and helpful to applicants.

She also discussed Riverside County’s growth. Although we are the fourth most-populous county in California, she stressed, “the county needs to look at public safety in a rural approach rather than urban.”

Idyllwild is quite familiar to Milne and her family. Although she grew up in San Diego, she and her husband honeymooned in Idyllwild. After moving to Hemet, she and her family visit town regularly. Consequently, she is familiar with local issues.

As an example, she referred to the creation of the Idyllwild Historic Preservation District. “Parking is still an issue, despite government trying to engage. It’s not the day-to-day awareness, so why tell people what to do.” She advocates less reliance on a social-engineering approach.

She noted that as an AAA member, she can get driver’s license and car registration much easier and quicker than by a visit to the local Department of Motor Vehicles office. That is what she means by “user-friendly.”

Milne decided to run for the Hemet council because she “didn’t see anybody effectively fighting for change, just a lot of complaining. You can’t fault anyone if you’re not willing to do it yourself.”

As a supervisor, Milne envisions the same challenges. “No matter where you sit, they’re the same issues. Government is too intrusive and too much borrowing.”

The last woman on the county Board of Supervisors was former 3rd District Supervisor Kay Ceniceros of Idyllwild. She left the board in 1996.

In March, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Washington to finish the term for state Sen. Jeff Stone, after he was elected to the Senate last November. Republican Randon Lane, a Murrieta councilman, has also announced his intentions to win the seat.

Still nearly a year from the primary, fundraising has begun. Through the end of June, Washington reported that he had received nearly $110,000 in contributions and had cash available of nearly $83,000.

Lane’s cash was about $52,500, after receiving about $61,000 in contributions. Milne, who has just entered the race, has not submitted a total balance yet, but she recently received more than $16,000 from the Hemet and Menifee Valley Community medical groups.

The primary is in June 2016 and the top two candidates will battle for the seat in the November 2016 general election.