Wilson Creek to vote on port commissioner districts
Resolution on November ballot
WILSON CREEK — At their board of commissioners meeting last week, the Port of Wilson Creek moved to put on November's ballot a resolution proposal to eliminate commissioner districts.
The board cited state law allowing any board of less than county wide port district to propose by resolution that the commissioner districts be eliminated, and candidates for any position on the board be permitted to reside anywhere in the port district.
Commissioner Gary Ribail said the resolution would do away with the districts, and anybody within the port district would be able to run for any position.
"Right now, the three districts are really out of whack as to the number of people in each district," Ribail said, adding that if voters choose not to go with the resolution, the port will be redistricted so that the population numbers are more even in each district. "The commission decided to put it on the ballot this fall, see if people are interested in having everybody at large."
"There was no proportional balance to the districts," port commissioner Sheldon Ralston agreed, noting one district was populated with 51 people, another 136 and still another 226. He was unsure if those numbers reflected people or voters within the districts.
Ralston explained that about a year ago, a number of area citizens organized a petition to eliminate the districts, but it was finalized fairly close to the deadline to submit to the county auditor, and did not make it onto the ballot.
"There was some discussion about them doing another petition, so at the commission, we said, 'If the citizens have already asked for this, then we should honor their wishes and provide the voters an opportunity to vote on it,' " Ralston said. "It's important to the port because it's what the people have asked for, and it's the people's port."
If voters approve the resolution, Ralston said, it might provide more people with interest in the port district's goings-on.
"A lot of times, people in a rural area are pretty busy, they just don't seem to find the time to do other things than farm," he said. "That would be our hope, that we find more people that are interested in running for the commission and participating in it."