Koster defining new ombudsman role in county

EVERETT — The announcement about Snohomish County’s new ombudsman was barely out when requests for help started trickling in.

John Koster in December had accepted the role as an in-house, good-government watchdog after term limits forced him to leave his County Council job of 12 years. The first order of business: figuring out what an ombudsman is supposed to do when people call to report problems with county government.

“Citizens are our customers,” Koster said. “There’s somewhere to go if they don’t think they were treated fairly.”

Defining how that should work in real life required some thought. Before Koster had time to draft procedures, people started calling for help. As of this week, draft procedures for the office were still awaiting formal approval — so technically, he’s not yet fully open for business.

Six months in, though, Koster has fielded 64 complaints.

The most common problems, by far, involve land use and other planning issues. They accounted for more than 40 percent of the total.

Most callers are either stuck in the process or don’t know where to go. Anybody could be forgiven for some confusion when navigating a county bureaucracy that spans law enforcement, the courts, property tax collection, road-building, elections, flood control, building rules, code enforcement, marriage licenses, pet licenses and more.

“Our job is to offer advice on how to solve the problem, not necessarily to do it for them — give them options,” Koster said.

Sometimes, Koster can resolve constituents’ concerns by providing good information. In other cases, he researches arcane policies or sets up meetings with county staff. His office strives to protect confidentiality.

A complaint about Treasurer’s Office records spawned the ombudsman’s first investigation. While Koster found nothing amiss with the treasurer’s staff, he hopes the findings will help the county develop a better system for tracking documents.

In a best-case scenario, Koster believes the office can build up confidence in public service. In some instances, helping give people what they expect from government might prevent costly litigation later on.

County Executive John Lovick created the ombudsman’s office as part of the 2014 budget. The Democratic executive offered the new post to Koster, a Republican stalwart.

That was a shift for a three-time GOP congressional candidate whose name remains among the most trusted in local Republican circles.

“We can’t be partisan, so I can’t be involved in any of the political races this year,” Koster said. “We have to be very non-partisan and neutral.”

Once installed, Koster set about studying other ombudsman systems, particularly in King County , which has been running for more than 40 years and is part of that county’s charter.

Koster doesn’t have quite the resources as his counterpart to the south. His only extra staff is an administrative assistant who splits her time with other departments. Koster receives more than $100,000 per year in salary.

The King County office includes eight people — several of them with law degrees, ombudsman Amy Calderwood said. Over the years, its mandate has grown from administrative issues — similar to the proposed scope of Snohomish County’s office — to include ethics and whistle-blower complaints, as well as lobbyist disclosures.

Originally anticipated to open this spring, Snohomish County’s office has gotten a slower-than-expected start.

That owes largely to the March 22 Oso mudslide, which killed 43 people and struck a heavy blow to the local economy. Through the end of June, Koster spent much of each work week helping people from the slide area navigate the recovery process.

The County Council on Wednesday received a draft for how the office should run.

“The ombudsman shall be a person of recognized judgment, objectivity and integrity, who is well-equipped to analyze problems of law, administration, and public policy,” the document reads.

If adopted, elected leaders would appoint someone to the position for a five-year term. Removing the person from office would require at least four of five votes on the County Council. Koster is clear that he wants to get the office up and running, but has left open how long he’ll stay.

Lovick’s administration didn’t want the office to get bogged down with complaints from jail inmates, which will be handled through the jail’s own system. They also wanted to keep the office separate from other branches of county government, which could become the focus of scrutiny.

“I wanted it independent,” Deputy County Executive Mark Ericks said. “I specifically wanted it to be independent from the executive and independent from the council. I wanted it to lie in between, so there couldn’t be undue influence either way.”

Koster expects to launch an ombudsman webpage on the county site once formal rules are in place. That should boost the office’s workload substantially.

“I suspect once people know we exist, we’ll be busy,” he said. “Really busy.”

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Imagine Children's Museum's incoming CEO, Elizabeth "Elee" Wood. (Photo provided by Imagine Children's Museum)
Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett will welcome new CEO in June

Nancy Johnson, who has led Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett for 25 years, will retire in June.

Kelli Littlejohn, who was 11 when her older sister Melissa Lee was murdered, speaks to a group of investigators and deputies to thank them for bringing closure to her family after over 30 years on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘She can rest in peace’: Jury convicts Bothell man in 1993 killing

Even after police arrested Alan Dean in 2020, it was unclear if he would stand trial. He was convicted Thursday in the murder of Melissa Lee, 15.

Ariel Garcia, 4, was last seen Wednesday morning in an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Dr. (Photo provided by Everett Police)
Everett police searching for missing child, 4

Ariel Garcia was last seen Wednesday at an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Drive. The child was missing under “suspicious circumstances.”

The rezoned property, seen here from the Hillside Vista luxury development, is surrounded on two sides by modern neighborhoods Monday, March 25, 2024, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Despite petition, Lake Stevens OKs rezone for new 96-home development

The change faced resistance from some residents, who worried about the effects of more density in the neighborhood.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Everett
11 months later, Lake Stevens man charged in fatal Casino Road shooting

Malik Fulson is accused of shooting Joseph Haderlie to death in the parking lot at the Crystal Springs Apartments last April.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.