Satpal Sidhu announces bid for Whatcom County Executive

Satpal Sidhu, who has served on the Whatcom County Council since 2015, announced that he is running for Whatcom County executive.

“My experience as a problem solver, including as an engineer, business executive, educator and small business owner, is what Whatcom County needs right now, and that’s why I’m running,” said Sidhu in a March 28 press release. “The executive must leverage the county’s limited resources to effectively address seemingly never-ending issues: housing affordability and homelessness, mental health and the opioid crisis, an ever-changing labor market, climate change, water rights and water quality, among others.”

In his current role as a county councilmember, Sidhu is chair of the council’s finance and administrative services committee and a member of the natural resources committee.

“During my tenure as a councilmember, I have engaged in fruitful conversations with people of all walks of life – from hardworking union members and tireless farmers to young students and tribal elders, whose history here goes back hundreds of generations,” said Sidhu. “And I have educated myself on the issues impacting their lives. Regardless of where you come from, I hear a common theme: we love this area and we want a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

In addition to his role as a county councilmember, Sidhu serves on several community boards and committees, including the Whatcom Council of Governments, the Northwest Clean Air Agency, the Reserve Officers board of trustees and the Whatcom Transportation Authority board of directors.

According to his press release, Sidhu has also volunteered for groups throughout the area, including the NW Agricultural Business Center, the Bellingham Police Chief Diversity Committee, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Ethics Committee and the Whatcom Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic. He is a founding member of the Meridian Public Schools Foundation and currently serves on the board of the Whatcom Community College Foundation.

“County government is where we can look at pressing issues without the traditional partisan blinders and really focus on finding and implementing solutions,” said Sidhu. “That is a big motivator for me.”

Sidhu has lived in Lynden for 30 years. He grew up in India and spent some time working in Canada before moving to Whatcom County in 1988. He speaks four languages, was a Fulbright Scholar and has experience as a professional engineer, senior business executive and as dean of engineering at Bellingham Technical College. In 2004, he and his wife opened Spice Hut in Bellingham, a tea and spice retail business.

Whatcom County executive is a nonpartisan position. The executive proposes an annual budget to the county council and supervises all administrative offices and executive departments not led by an independently elected official. The executive responds to citizen concerns, complaints and requests, and represents Whatcom County at the local, regional, state and federal levels. The executive is also responsible for appointing members to various boards and commissions. The term of office is four years.