A grassroots effort is under way to have the county rename the Island County Courthouse Annex building in honor of the late Tom Roehl. Several Island County residents are rallying support to have the building, which is being remodeled, renamed the Thomas J. Roehl Building in recognition of a Roehl, who died earlier this month. Roehl was a planner and project manager for the Port of South Whidbey and the Freeland Water District. In addition, he was a member of the Freeland Sub-Area Planning Commissioner and an active figure in county-wide land use planning.

The proposal was brought to the Board of Island County Commissioners on Monday by Clinton resident Rufus Rose.

“He’s a genuine hero to Island County,” Rose said at the meeting.

Rose told the commissioners renaming the annex building would honor the thousands of hours of community work Roehl did over the years.

Prior to bringing the issue to the commissioners, Rose got permission from Roehl’s widow, Jodi Roehl, to propose the naming idea. Also signing on his support to the idea is former Island County Commissioner Bill Thorn. The commissioners made no comment on the proposal.