Next month there will be an election. On November 8, the people of San Juan County get to vote on some pretty serious issues. There are statewide measures about services for the elderly and disabled people, there is a county ballot to charge a parcel fee to rescue the solid waste department, there are school board races and port commissioner races. My focus is on the Charter Review Commission.Twenty-one people will be selected from San Juan Islands to review the Home Rule Charter and propose changes that will be voted on in 2012. This is as important as it gets when citizens can influence their local government. For those of you who have forgotten it, we voted in a Charter government so we could have some say in local issues. What we vote on this year will have resonance for years to come.The Charter was sold to us as revenue neutral. What happened? Layoffs continue in our San Juan government, yet parcel fees and levy lifts continue to be requested from us. I urge the citizens of San Juan County to get involved and ask the questions that need to be asked, seek the answers to the questions, be part of the solution!
I am a candidate for the charter review and I have a lot of questions. I will go to my voter guide and I will go to my friends and discuss these things. I urge you to vote a new slate of Charter Review Commissioners, and ask the questions.
Jim Stegall
Charter Commission Candidate
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
