Paul Burrill Photo by Greg Thames
WHATCOM Wash. — Paul Burrill sees the Port of Bellingham as more than a waterfront agency. To him, it is a test of whether Whatcom County can protect the industries that built it while still making room for recreation, housing, environmental cleanup, and public access.
Burrill is running for the new Port of Bellingham Commissioner District 4 seat, one of the positions created after voters approved expanding the commission from three members to five. He says the Port needs commissioners with real waterfront experience, not just political interest.
“Basically, we need leadership within the Port District,” Burrill said in an interview with Bellingham Metro News. “Most candidates do not have any waterfront or maritime experience, and so I felt compelled to put my name in the race because of my past history.”
That history is central to Burrill’s campaign. He has spent about 30 years as a commercial fisherman and currently serves as chair of the Port’s Marine Advisory Committee. He has also served on the Washington Whale Entanglement Task Force, worked as a Washington state crab advisor, participated in tri-state crab management discussions, and serves on the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Committee. Burrill is also connected to the agricultural community through Whatcom Family Farmers.
When asked whether he would have time to serve as commissioner while already involved in several groups, Burrill said he would need to step back from some roles. He said he would no longer be able to chair the Marine Advisory Committee because that committee serves at the pleasure of the Port commissioners.
For Burrill, the case for expanding the Port Commission comes down to representation. He said he supported the move, although he saw pros and cons, because more districts mean more residents may feel they have a voice in decisions that affect the whole county.
“I think ultimately, people want to feel that there is more voices making the decisions,” Burrill said. He added that the Port should not be treated as “the first step in a political career,” but as a place to serve the community.
Much of Burrill’s message focuses on the working waterfront. He argues that Whatcom County already has industries that fit the Port, especially seafood, cold storage, trucking, marine transportation, and Alaska-linked logistics. Rather than constantly trying to bring in something new, he said the Port should build on what already works here.
“What we’re overlooking here is that link between the two states,” Burrill said, referring to Washington and Alaska. He said Bellingham could support jobs through freight, frozen goods, seafood processing, and other waterfront industries that do not have to be “dirty” or “noisy.”
One example he raised was cold storage. Burrill said the Port would not necessarily have to build and own such facilities. Instead, he said public-private partnerships could allow private companies to build facilities and enter long-term leases, creating room for the seafood and logistics industries to grow.
But Burrill’s pro-industry message also comes with a warning about public trust. He praised Port staff for environmental work, outreach, and finding grants that reduce the tax burden. At the same time, he said the Port has struggled to identify industrial projects that both create family-wage jobs and gain enough community support.
The failed ABC Recycling proposal came up several times during the interview. Burrill said the project may have had value, but the community clearly did not accept it as presented. He also made a stronger claim: that some industrial companies now view the Port of Bellingham as effectively “closed for business” because they fear making investments that could later be pulled back after public opposition.
That is Burrill’s characterization, not an independently verified fact. But it reveals one of his central concerns: that uncertainty can scare off companies before the public ever sees a proposal.
His proposed solution is more structured community review before major industrial projects reach a breaking point. Burrill suggested the Port consider a heavy industrial advisory committee, similar to the Marine Advisory Committee or airport advisory committee, to help evaluate what kinds of projects may fit the waterfront and what concerns need to be addressed early.
He also expressed frustration that advisory committees are not always taken seriously. Burrill said members volunteer their time, work through difficult issues, and then sometimes feel they are dismissed with little more than “thank you for your comment.”
“We’re here to support you,” Burrill said, arguing that advisory committees can help commissioners understand the community if commissioners are willing to listen.
Housing is another major pressure point. Burrill said Whatcom County needs more housing, including affordable housing, but he believes some waterfront land should remain permanently industrial. He said places such as the Whatcom Waterway and parts of Fairhaven need clear lines so working waterfront uses are not slowly displaced.
“If we lose our industry here and it’s converted to housing, we’re never getting that back,” Burrill said.
He tied that concern to a broader economic example: Washington State Ferries’ contract with Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group to build three new hybrid-electric ferries. The governor’s office announced the $714.5 million selection in July 2025, and state reporting has described it as the first time in more than 50 years Washington has turned to an out-of-state shipbuilder for new ferries. Burrill argued Whatcom County should be looking for ways to compete for pieces of that kind of work, including modular components that could be built locally and shipped by barge or truck.
“There’s absolutely no reason we can’t have at least part of that here,” Burrill said.
The interview also touched on a politically sensitive issue raised by residents at a recent Port Commission meeting: ICE, Border Patrol, and federal use of Port facilities. Burrill said federal presence is tied to the realities of having an international airport and port of entry. But he also said concerns about Department of Homeland Security operations are worth discussing.
“This is where logic and emotion doesn’t always match,” Burrill said. Still, he added, “Let’s have that conversation.”
On transparency, Burrill said Port leases are public, but he also cautioned that once a lease is signed, the Port has legal obligations and cannot simply interfere with a tenant without risking breach-of-contract consequences. For that reason, he said those concerns need to be considered before agreements are approved.
Asked how voters should judge him after a term in office, Burrill said he would want to see a “clean, thriving waterfront” with both recreation and industry. He said some Port decisions are generational and require patience, collaboration, and a willingness to invest.
Burrill’s campaign offers voters a clear argument: the Port should protect and grow Whatcom County’s working industries, but do so with better public process and stronger advisory input. For voters more focused on environmental protection, housing, immigration enforcement concerns, or public access, the question may be whether Burrill’s industrial vision can be balanced with those priorities.
That is the choice District 4 voters will weigh as the expanded Port Commission begins its next chapter.
Article by Greg Thames, BMN Citizen Reporter.
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