||| FROM DAVID TURNOY for SAN JUAN COUNTY DEMOCRATS |||
Please read your Voters’ Pamphlet as there is a great deal of information in it. The ‘con’ statements to the Propositions, however, present a lot of dis-information. If you would like to read more about the propositions, please visit the Charter Review Commission website. Particularly informative are the findings for each Proposition which you can FIND HERE.
As you may know, once in a decade the voters of San Juan County have an opportunity to review and, more importantly, improve functioning of their government. This unusual self-governing opportunity exists in only seven of 39 Washington state counties who possess the power to periodically elect a commission to review its county charter.
Your Charter Review Commission (CRC) has been working for the past 10 months. It has hosted town hall meetings, held small-group discussions, and received input from hundreds of county residents. The result of the CRC’s work is six Propositions that address critical issues of justice, equity, climate change/environmental protection, and improvements to our government’s ability to support our citizens and economy. Here is a synopsis of each proposition on the November ballot:
Proposition #1:: A new introduction to the Charter. Prop #1 includes an acknowledgment to the Coast Salish First Peoples, as well as a clear statement recognizing core county values of equity, preservation of our fragile environment, and the protection of each person under the law, and sustaining a resilient economy.
Proposition #2:: Term Limits for Council Members: Prop #2 will limit County Council service to a three-term limit, or twelve years.
Proposition #3:: Climate and Environment Commission: The county council has recently created an independent department of Climate and Environment, responsible for issues of climate change and environmental protection. The con statement misstates that this Proposition creates a new department or is duplicative. Proposition 3 establishes an unpaid, volunteer commission made of residents appointed by the County Council. This will create greater engagement, transparency and oversight to the new department ensuring our government is responsive to our residents. It does not have enforcement authority. The Commission would recommend actions to the department and the County regarding compliance with laws and how to best protect our environment as well as address climate change. The commission would also develop an action plan and an annual report. The commission is necessary to give the new county department a little more independence and to give citizens greater input.
Proposition #4:: Concerning Initiatives and Referendums: Proposition 4 would remove the requirement that initiatives provide for specific new or additional sources of revenue to implement an initiative. This recognizes the fact that individual citizens do not understand the entire county budget. The Proposition also lowers the signature requirement to place an item on the ballot; and it adds a display requirement identifying paid signature gatherers. Propositions number 5 and 6 have as their basis the little-known San Juan County Resolution No. 31-2020 ‘Affirming Commitment to a Safe and Inclusive County.’ This resolution was passed late last year by a County Council that responded to the local voices loudly protesting racism and discrimination across the San Juans. Propositions 5 and 6 solidly positions our County to uphold through its actions these and other values of Resolution 31-2020 which include diversity, collaboration, respect, integrity, empathy, learning and accountability.
Proposition #5:: Concerning Non-Discrimination in the Exercise of County Powers and Performance of its Duties: San Juan County is one of two among seven charter counties in the state that does not have a non-discrimination section which serves to localize federal and state non-discrimination legislation to the county level. Including this section in the Charter is long overdue. Prop #5 introduces a new section in the Charter to localize federal and state legislation concerning non-discrimination. It provides that the county will not discriminate against protected classes because of age, body type, marital status, care provider status, certain veteran discharges, gender identity or expression. It also requires the same adherence by the county in professional services contracts, excluding contracts with public entities.
Proposition #6:: Concerning Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Commission: The county’s work to implement the spirit of Resolution No. 31-2020 since it was passed in October 2020 has been limited, at best. Prop 6 creates a new unpaid, volunteer 11-member commission appointed by the County Council. Through this new commission, the elected and appointed officials of the county who are responsible for upholding the values of justice, equity and inclusion and Resolution 31-2020 will have a forum in which they can participate with residents, including those who comprise the ‘minority’ to discuss issues and take action, to truly make this a ‘Safe and Inclusive Community’ in which we all can live peacefully together. Again, SJC Democratic Party has endorsed all six of these Propositions.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about them. VOTE YES on Propositions!
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What is performative activism?
Did the Democrats read the Charter Amendments?
I suggest that people carefully read and understand the propositions. Their aims are inarguably laudable, but however nice they sound, the question remains, “What do they actually do that makes a difference?” An article in the most recent American Bar Association State and Local Government Law Section argues, convincingly, I think, that committees and commissions actually distance citizens from the operating segments of their government by displacing them.
Giving citizens free run on a budget-busting initiative because of a purported inability to understand public funding is flat out irresponsible. We would all like to run up a bill that someone else has to figure out how to pay. While intended to be progressive (and I support the reduced signature requirement) it is regressive in responsibility.
Full disclosure: I am on the D central committee and was the sole vote against the party’s support of these propositions. This is not or should not in my opinion be a party issue. Given the current state of affairs, our divisions are already quite sufficient. I believe that caring and enthusiasm, well-justified as they are for the issues involved, have outrun judgment.
Bill,
Thank you for your input. No truer words could be said than this should not be a party issue, but in San Juan County non-partisan is no longer possible. The parties in our county refuse to remove themselves from the discussion.
Prop 1- NO. Inclusion of the recognition of the Coast Salish Peoples is well deserved for inclusion, unfortunately the rest is just word-salad. Could have been a wonderful addition but sadly it went far beyond an introduction.
Prop 2- YES. No question that this is good government.
Prop 3- NO. This creates a redundancy in the county that will likely end up slowing oversight and enforcement rather than helping. Incorporation of the impact of climate change actions at the policy level is far more effective than addressing it the way it is proposed here.
Prop 4 – NO. Unfunded mandates are the death of government. There are many great ideas out there, but if funding can only half-bake them then what is the point. We need solutions to problems, not ideas that make them worse.
Prop 5 – NO… but YES! I would vote no on this, simply because this is a policy issue. And the policies exist to protect workers, volunteers and bidders already. Yes, we need to strictly enforce non-discrimination and protect the interests of ALL people in our county, but again this is a policy issue. And those policies are in place and back existing State and Federal law at the county level.
Prop 6 – Yes. Establishment of this commission is a reasonable addition to county advisory roles. The big worry is that we already have trouble filling county advisory roles, so this is additive to an already difficult issue.