PORT ANGELES — Pro and con statements for proposed changes to the Clallam County charter will not be vetted by the entire Charter Review Commission before they appear in the voter’s pamphlet.
Commission members voted 7-6 last Monday to allow subcommittee chairs to send statements for and against eight proposed charter amendment directly to the County Auditor with no direct oversight from the full commission.
“When they’re printed, they reflect the Charter Review Commission,” said commission Chairwoman Norma Turner, who voted no.
“We all have some sense of ownership.”
The statements appearing in the voter’s pamphlet and online voter’s guide will weigh the pros and cons of eight proposed amendments to the Clallam County Charter that voters will consider in the Nov. 3 election.
The pro and con statements are limited to 250 words and are due Aug. 18.
Clallam is one of seven counties in the state that operate under a home-rule charter, a type of county constitution that allows citizens to vote on how their government is structured.
Fifteen citizens were elected last November to propose changes to the charter.
Among the proposals for this year’s ballot: should the elected Community Development director return to an appointed position and should county commissioners be elected by district rather than countywide in the general election.
The commission last Monday fine-tuned language for the eight proposed amendments for 2015 and their accompanying explanatory statements.
The amendments and explanatory statements were drafted by county Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brian Wendt at the direction of a majority of the Charter Review Commission.
Here’s a summary of the proposed amendments that will appear on the 2015 ballot:
■ Should the three Clallam County commissioners be elected by district in both the primary and general elections?
■ Should a Charter Review Commission be elected every five years rather than every eight years?
■ Should initiatives be allowed to move directly to voters without transmission through the Board of County Commissioners?
■ Should referendums be allowed to move directly to voters without transmission through the Board of County Commissioners?
■ Should citizens have 120 days rather than 90 days to gather petition signatures for initiatives and referendums?
■ Should the director of the Department of Community Development be appointed rather than elected?
■ Should Section 1.30 of the charter (relating to county powers under the charter form of government) be amended for consistency?
■ Should a charter review commissioner’s one-year term begin in January rather than November?
Several other issues were moved to the 2016 ballot to allow time for more study, including the creation of an Office of Ombudsman to investigate public officials and whistleblower complaints.
The Clallam County Charter Review Commission will reconvene in a special meeting Oct. 19 to review language for the 2016 ballot measures.
“Hopefully we’ll get that done in one meeting,” Turner said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
