Please support the three Charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Commission (CRC).
The Commission was elected by voters to do precisely what they did – review the Home Rule Charter and make recommendations for improvements. 34 of 39 Counties in Washington State are governed and managed by a set of 3 County Commissioners. Why would San Juan County, population just under 16,000, have six elected members?
The Home Rule Charter was created to give citizens greater control over their government. After interviewing current and former elected and department heads, the CRC are recommending the strongest sentiments heard: that six council members are too many; that races for open seats went unopposed; that district splintering (six districts) is causing island-centric thinking and animosity; that the addition of a county administrator has added more expense and no accountability to the citizens; and that transparency in government has been clouded.
These issues are so apparent that both political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, have gone on record supporting the three Charter amendments.
The original Freeholders tackled a big job. They did their best in the time they had, and without the benefit of hindsight, to create a strong Charter. Unfortunately, if you have been watching the Council the last few years, you can see the numbers don’t add up to leadership, the expenses have ballooned, and the role of the administrator did not produce the promised independent leadership. We need to fine-tune our Charter and make it work for all the citizens of San Juan County. Vote yes for review and adjustment.
Sandy Strehlou
San Juan Island
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