By Aaron Corvin
Published June 24th 2006 in News Tribune
The elected panel reviewing Pierce County government has decided
against sending three more proposals to voters that were aimed at
making the government more accountable to residents.
Instead, the Charter Review Commission on Thursday approved several recommendations to the County Council, including that it bolster the ethics code and consider creating an office to take complaints from residents.
Kelly Haughton of Gig Harbor, a member of the review commission, said it’s the County Council that “needs to step up” and advocate for citizens.
The commissioners disagreed over what kind of watchdog proposal to send to voters. One of the three proposals they considered would have asked voters to create an elected position – independent of the council and the executive – to oversee an office charged with listening to citizen concerns.
The commission voted 10-8 against it. Audrey Chase, a commissioner who lives in the North Clover Creek Collins area, said she was disappointed. The public wanted the chance to create an independent oversight agency, she said, not to leave the issue for the council to decide.
Nevertheless, the commission has voted to propose nine changes to the 1980 home-rule charter – the county’s equivalent of a constitution. Voters will decide on the Nov. 7 ballot.
the proposals:
Sheriff: Make the job elective, rather than appointed.
Instant runoff voting: All county elections, except for prosecuting attorney and judges, would use this election system. Under this system, voters would cast ballots allowing them to rank all candidates for an office in their order of preference. All votes would be counted in rounds until a majority winner is found.
Initiative: Reduce signatures needed to put a measure on the ballot to change or create a county law.
Referendum: Reduce the number of signatures needed to put a measure on the ballot to repeal a county law.
Performance audits: Expand the county’s performance audit program to require the council to annually report the highlights of audits, make reports available to the public free of charge and to publicly discuss plans to respond to audits.
Budget: Require the executive to present the budget to the council at least 100 days – up from 75 – before the end of each year.
Appointments: Require the executive to choose from candidates supplied by a council member for some appointments.
Executive power: Prohibit the executive from telling other elected officials how to operate.
Eminent domain: Prohibit the county from taking private property for economic development.
What the commission does: Voters elected the commission last November to direct a six-month review of the county’s 1980 home-rule charter. It’s a process the charter requires every 10 years.
What’s next: The 21-member commission wraps up its work Thursday, when it reviews ballot titles for each of the nine proposals. It meets 6:30 p.m. at Pierce Transit, 3720 96th St. S.W. in Lakewood.
For more information: To contact Julie King, commission clerk, call 360-802-3708 or e-mail [email protected].
Instead, the Charter Review Commission on Thursday approved several recommendations to the County Council, including that it bolster the ethics code and consider creating an office to take complaints from residents.
Kelly Haughton of Gig Harbor, a member of the review commission, said it’s the County Council that “needs to step up” and advocate for citizens.
The commissioners disagreed over what kind of watchdog proposal to send to voters. One of the three proposals they considered would have asked voters to create an elected position – independent of the council and the executive – to oversee an office charged with listening to citizen concerns.
The commission voted 10-8 against it. Audrey Chase, a commissioner who lives in the North Clover Creek Collins area, said she was disappointed. The public wanted the chance to create an independent oversight agency, she said, not to leave the issue for the council to decide.
Nevertheless, the commission has voted to propose nine changes to the 1980 home-rule charter – the county’s equivalent of a constitution. Voters will decide on the Nov. 7 ballot.
the proposals:
Sheriff: Make the job elective, rather than appointed.
Instant runoff voting: All county elections, except for prosecuting attorney and judges, would use this election system. Under this system, voters would cast ballots allowing them to rank all candidates for an office in their order of preference. All votes would be counted in rounds until a majority winner is found.
Initiative: Reduce signatures needed to put a measure on the ballot to change or create a county law.
Referendum: Reduce the number of signatures needed to put a measure on the ballot to repeal a county law.
Performance audits: Expand the county’s performance audit program to require the council to annually report the highlights of audits, make reports available to the public free of charge and to publicly discuss plans to respond to audits.
Budget: Require the executive to present the budget to the council at least 100 days – up from 75 – before the end of each year.
Appointments: Require the executive to choose from candidates supplied by a council member for some appointments.
Executive power: Prohibit the executive from telling other elected officials how to operate.
Eminent domain: Prohibit the county from taking private property for economic development.
What the commission does: Voters elected the commission last November to direct a six-month review of the county’s 1980 home-rule charter. It’s a process the charter requires every 10 years.
What’s next: The 21-member commission wraps up its work Thursday, when it reviews ballot titles for each of the nine proposals. It meets 6:30 p.m. at Pierce Transit, 3720 96th St. S.W. in Lakewood.
For more information: To contact Julie King, commission clerk, call 360-802-3708 or e-mail [email protected].
