Council Salutes Administrator Pete Rose

Pete Rose, San Juan County Administrator, is give a Proclamation of Appreciation by San Juan County Council Chair Patty Miller

By Stan Matthews
County Website and Communications Manager

Donald “Pete” Rose was honored for his service to San Juan County yesterday, Tuesday, May 22, at his last Council meeting as County Administrator. After six years as Administrator here, Rose is leaving to become City Administrator of Lake Forest Park, Washington, in King County.

In a Proclamation, Council Chair Patty Miller thanked Rose for his hard work and creativity as the first administrator under the County’s home rule charter, adopted in 2005. The proclamation also noted that Rose must now make a “difficult transition from these beautiful islands to a landlocked city where critical areas are places where unfavorable reviews are posted, and a marine environment is a club with military décor.”

Rose’s last official day on the job is June 8.

The complete text of the Proclamation:

Proclamation of Appreciation

            WHEREAS Donald “Pete” Rose was appointed in 2006, to be the first permanent Administrator to serve under San Juan County’s home rule charter; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose guided the county government through the intricate transition from a three-person commission to a government with a professional administrator and a 6-member policy-making council; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose has greatly improved both the Council’s and citizens’ ability to access financial information about the County through creation of an annual budget book and comprehensive, quarterly financial reports; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose provided critical leadership in cutting costs and increasing efficiencies in the face of flagging sales taxes, solid waste revenues, interest income, and property taxes from new construction; and
            WHEREAS because of his foresight, planning and effort this and all meetings of the Council in this room are available live on any Internet connected computer in the world, and in perpetuity on digital recordings; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose has been instrumental in moving San Juan County along the difficult path toward compliance with the Growth Management Act; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose has consistently shown an ability to put four corners around difficult issues, even with the bases loaded, when competing forces are crow-hopping late in the fourth quarter, and low-hanging fruit is wrapped around the axle; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose’s inability to stay away from the office on weekends, when work needed to be done, greatly benefited the people of San Juan County; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose has been a devout member of his church congregation in Friday Harbor, frequently offering heartfelt prayers for fewer, shorter Council meetings; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose’s prayers have been answered with a calling to administer a municipality whose council holds just two, four-hour sessions each month; and
            WHEREAS Mr. Rose now faces a difficult transition from these beautiful islands to a landlocked city where critical areas are places where unfavorable reviews are posted, and a marine environment is a club with military decor;
NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the people of San Juan County, the members of the San Juan County Council hereby thank Donald “Pete” Rose for devoting six years of his life, hard work, dedication, and creativity to the service of San Juan County, and extend our best wishes for much success in his new position.