Grant County Citizen Review Committee favors Prop. 1

GUEST EDITORIAL

What is charter government?

When Washington joined the Union in 1889, the state Constitution established a default system of government for every county that was subsequently formed. Each county would have a set of three elected commissioners with responsibility for both legislative and policy setting functions and also with day-to-day management. The Constitution also mandated that each county would have other elected officials (assessor, auditor, clerk, coroner, sheriff, treasurer, prosecuting attorney and judges) who are independently elected and do not report to the commissioners. All elected positions were mandated to be partisan positions. In 1948, the voters of Washington determined that the original system was outdated for some situations, and the state Constitution was amended to allow counties to modify their governmental structure by the election of a board of freeholders who could propose a "Home Rule Charter" to restructure county government if ultimately approved by a vote of county citizens.

The charter system allows a county to override the state's default prescription for the county's structure. The prosecuting attorney and superior court judges must continue to be elected, but a Home Rule Charter allows other officials to be hired rather than elected. The charter system allows other changes, including providing for the power of initiative and referendum which although available for state-wide issues and most municipalities, is not available to counties.

Fundamental choices for county structure can be made, including:

- Which offices are elected or appointed

- Whether offices are partisan or non-partisan

- Whether to stay with three or increase to five or more commissioners

- Whether to establish performance audit processes for county departments

- Whether to establish a referendum/initiative process for the county

If the freeholders propose any of the above changes, these changes are put on the ballot for approval or disapproval by majority vote of county citizens.

Increased Representation

The three county commissioners now represent more than 81,000 county residents. With only three commissioners there is an effective rule of two; that is, it takes just two commissioners to determine policies and ordinances for the entire county. If it were felt that there should be more commissioners to provide a more balanced representation to county citizens, the election of a board of freeholders and adoption of a Home Rule Charter is the only method available for accomplishing this goal.

Additionally, a Home Rule Charter could change the election process. Currently, the commissioners are selected by the voters in their respective districts in the primaries, but all county voters vote in the general election. This odd process distorts the representative system and makes the commissioners beholden, not to the districts they supposedly represent, but to coalitions spread throughout the county.

The Freeholders' job

The task of the board of freeholders under the state Constitution is to "prepare and propose" a Home Rule Charter to the voters of the county. They have no other duties. They are non-partisan and are not paid.

Thus, freeholders are charged under the state Constitution with engaging in a process, a process of participative democracy. At all points it is the voters who make the ultimate decisions. The voters must first decide whether to have the process at all. That is a decision that county voters will make this Nov. 7. County voters will also elect 21 freeholders (7 from each commissioner district) from among more than 70 freeholder candidates. Later, it is also the county voters who decide whether to adopt a Home Rule Charter that the freeholders might propose.

The board of freeholders can be likened to the elected delegates to a constitutional convention in proposing a constitution - a Home Rule Charter - for our county. The freeholders' proposal must then be ratified - or rejected - by the voters of the county.

Freeholders' Proceedings

The state Constitution makes only two provisions concerning the freeholders' processes:

- They must convene for their first meeting within 30 days of being elected to organize themselves.

- Once freeholders have a Home Rule Charter to propose to the voters, the Home Rule Charter must be published in two legal newspapers at least once a week for four consecutive weeks before the election in which it will be proposed.

In other words, the freeholders' processes are almost entirely their own. The times and frequency of their meetings, the rules of proceeding and decision during the meetings, the internal organization of the board (officers and committees), the length of time that they take before submitting a proposed Home Rule Charter to the voters - all these things are matters of decision for the freeholders themselves.

County legislative authorities have customarily passed ordinances specifying certain matters, such as the procedure by which the freeholders may make budget requests. Our commissioners have said that they would adopt such ordinances, if the voters approve the election of a board of freeholders. No doubt there will need to be communication and negotiation between the commissioners and the freeholders on necessary and reasonable expenses.

While in office, the freeholders are county officials. The county government has a "right and duty" to fund the reasonable requirements of their constitutional task (for example, printing and supplies, and technical and clerical assistance). The prosecuting attorney has the duty to advise the freeholders on legal matters.

Soliciting and recording public opinion, drafting, debating, deliberating, selecting options and submitting a Home Rule Charter are all part of what the state Constitution contemplates for the freeholder process.

One cannot think of a more important, respectful, democratic and constitutional process whereby ordinary citizens of Grant County - not office holders, politicians seeking office, or those depending on them for jobs - have an opportunity to review the underpinnings and performance of the system that governs them locally.

Freeholders for the Process

The freeholder candidates listed below believe the Home Rule Charter process is good for Grant County and that an independent citizen review of county government is healthy. They feel the Home Rule Charter process may lead to improvements and local control over local government. Home rule charter government does not necessarily mean major changes. In fact, a new Home Rule Charter could retain the same three commissioner-style system, or it could simply make minor changes like making certain elected positions non-partisan. No matter what changes the freeholders may propose, the voters of Grant County must approve them by majority vote.

We encourage voters to vote "yes" on Proposition 1.

For more information, visit www.grantcharter.com

Katherine Bohnet

Bill Bailey

Jay Ballinger

Bill Bonaudi

Steve Chestnut

Brian Dano

Ben Davis

P.J. DeBenedetti

Terry Dorsing

Bob Holloway

Garf Ivory

Chris Jacobson

Larry Larson

Phil Leitz

Donald E. Long

Brian Meiners

Murray Michael

John Molitor

John O. Morris Jr.

Dianna Pfeifer

Tim Snead

Brenda Teals

Judy Thompson

Mike Thompson