What Does the Port Actually Do?

What Does the Port Actually Do?

If you've seen "Port Commissioner" on your ballot and thought, wait, what does the Port even do? — you're not alone. It's one of the most important local governments most people can't quite describe. So let's fix that.

The Port of Bellingham was created in 1920, with a mission centered on economic development, transportation, and the responsible stewardship of public assets. Today, that means managing much of the infrastructure and public property that keeps Whatcom County connected and working.

The Port owns and operates:

• Bellingham International Airport — a critical transportation hub connecting Whatcom County to destinations throughout the region and beyond.

• Squalicum Harbor and Blaine Harbor — home to commercial fishing fleets, maritime businesses, and recreational boaters.

• The Bellingham Cruise Terminal — connecting our waterfront to Southeast Alaska through the Alaska Marine Highway.

• Shipping and cargo facilities — supporting the movement of goods and the region's maritime economy.

• A significant portfolio of public land and commercial property — making the Port an important landlord and economic development partner for businesses throughout Whatcom County.

  
  

And that's just the everyday work.

One of the Port's biggest long-term responsibilities is the Bellingham waterfront. For years, the Port has worked to clean up and redevelop the former Georgia-Pacific industrial site, transforming it into the Waterfront District. It's a project that will shape Bellingham's shoreline — and our local economy — for generations.

Who Runs It, and How Is It Funded?

The Port is governed by elected commissioners who are responsible for setting policy, approving major investments, overseeing Port leadership, and making long-term decisions about publicly owned assets.

It's a nonpartisan office, and I believe that's important. Managing an airport, working waterfront, marinas, industrial property, and major redevelopment projects shouldn't be about party politics. It should be about good judgment, responsible stewardship, and what's best for Whatcom County.

Another thing that surprises many people is that property taxes are only a small part of the Port's funding. The Port generates revenue through leases, operations, grants, and other financing sources used to support infrastructure and capital projects.

In many ways, commissioners oversee a public agency that operates much like a business — except its success isn't measured by shareholder returns. It's measured by jobs created and protected, businesses supported, infrastructure maintained, economic opportunities expanded, and public assets preserved for future generations.

Why the Commissioner Race Matters

The Port controls some of Whatcom County's most important transportation infrastructure, waterfront property, and industrial land. That means decisions made by the Port Commission can have an impact for decades.

Every major lease, capital investment, redevelopment decision, and choice about balancing industry, economic development, environmental responsibility, and public access helps determine what kind of community we're building.

I've spent more than 20 years working in local industry, and I've seen firsthand how important good infrastructure and family-wage jobs are to the people who live here. I believe our Port should protect and strengthen the industries that built our working waterfront while creating new opportunities for the next generation.

That means supporting our fishing and maritime industries. It means making smart investments at Bellingham International Airport. It means attracting and retaining businesses that provide good local jobs. And it means developing our waterfront responsibly so these public assets continue creating value for all of Whatcom County.

The Port Commission may not always make the biggest headlines, but the decisions it makes matter.

I'm asking for your support this November so we can keep Whatcom County's Port working for our businesses, our workers, our communities, and the generations that come after us.

— Shawn Ensley