Letter to the Editor: Examine Misleading Charter Proposition Claims

Dear Islanders,

I have been reading some of the letters submitted in opposition to the Charter changes and find some of them misleading. For example, one reads that the county-wide voting recommended by the Charter Review Commission results in “unequal representation,” or a violation of “one-person, one-vote.” But as I see it, when you have all voters vote for all three positions, there is no unfairness.

I like to think of San Juan County as one community, with some differences among islands. We elect one council to govern us. All the council should be voted on by all of us since many of the decisions the council makes have an impact on all of us. If the councilor from Lopez is going to make decisions that affect Orcas or San Juan, those islands should get to vote on who that councilor is going to be. Likewise, Lopez should have a say in voting for the councilors in the other districts.

Best of all, with county-wide voting, candidates will have to connect with islands other than the one they live on. We used to see candidates from Orcas and San Juan here on Lopez. And our candidates campaigned on Orcas and San Juan. Now we do not see candidates from other islands. They do not have to learn what our concerns are. The goal should be to make all councilors represent all voters. That is what the first charter proposition would accomplish.

Another misleading theme in some of the letters has to do with “separation of powers” The writers claim the second proposition, having the county administrator or manager under the direction of the council, violates some sort of principle. Actually, having the administrator or manager under the council just assures that the elected councilors govern the unelected administrator. Otherwise, the administrator is a power unto himself or herself. Is that democracy? Separation of powers makes sense when you have an elected mayor or county executive, but we do not have that system.

I hope the public is not being confused or misled by some of these anti-change letters. Study what the Commission is recommending and I believe that you will see that these changes will result in an improved charter, fair representation and better government.

Sincerely,

Liz Scranton
Lopez Island