Thursday, October 1, 2026
WENATCHEE — Independent Chelan County commissioner candidate Nathanial Helligso has released a detailed platform focused on housing affordability, childcare access, workforce development and regional coordination as he enters the 2026 race for Chelan County Commissioner District 2.
Helligso is running against Republican Shon Smith and Democrat Clint Strand.
The Wenatchee resident said the platform is built around what he describes as “structural” economic problems facing working families across Chelan County, particularly rising housing costs and workforce instability.
Among the proposals outlined in the platform are expanded use of accessory dwelling units and “missing middle” housing, maintaining short-term rental regulations in tourism-heavy areas, reducing barriers for agricultural worker housing and creating a pre-approved ADU design library to speed permitting and reduce costs.
“Housing values have risen nearly three times faster than wages,” the platform states, citing county housing data showing median home prices climbing from roughly $241,000 in 2014 to more than $600,000 in 2024.
Helligso also proposes county-led efforts to improve childcare access, including streamlined permitting for childcare facilities, audits of county-owned properties that could host childcare centers and partnerships between major employers and childcare providers.
The platform frames childcare as economic infrastructure, arguing that workforce participation is directly tied to reliable care availability for working parents.
On economic development, Helligso calls for stronger workforce agreements tied to future large-scale development projects, including potential local hiring commitments connected to data centers and energy-intensive industries.
He also advocates for more stable workforce training funding and closer coordination between Chelan County, the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority, Wenatchee Valley College and NCW SkillSource.
Another major focus of the platform is regional coordination between local governments and agencies. Helligso proposes creating a standing “Regional Coordination Summit” involving the county, cities, the Port, Chelan County PUD, Link Transit, housing agencies and workforce organizations to better align long-term planning efforts.
The proposal references recent tensions between Chelan County and the Port over the proposed Malaga tax increment area as an example of what can happen when agencies plan independently without formal coordination.
Helligso currently works as operations manager for 501 Consultants, a women-owned consulting firm based in Wenatchee, and also serves as program manager for Sustainable WA, an agricultural sustainability certification program.
He attended Cascade High School and earned degrees from Wenatchee Valley College, Western Washington University and Western Governors University. He previously served as chair of TEAMs Early Learning Center.
The full platform is available at votehelligsochelancounty.com.
Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media
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