EVERETT — The brainstorming has begun. A group of elected commissioners is pondering ways to alter the size, shape and function of Snohomish County government.
Charter Review commissioners have discussed more than two dozen proposals, among them making more county elected offices nonpartisan and abolishing term limits. Another would increase the number of county council members to seven from five.
Any commission proposals must first be approved by the County Council and passed by voters in November.
Now commissioners are preparing to gather others’ thoughts at five upcoming meetings scheduled around the county: in Marysville, Mill Creek, Edmonds, Mukilteo and a still-undetermined location in east Snohomish County.
“I look forward to going out into the (county) council districts and hearing from people a bit more,” said Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson, the commission’s chairwoman.
Snohomish County adopted a home rule charter in 1980 and is now one of seven Washington counties with a charter form of government. Snohomish County first amended its charter in 1986 and has reexamined it every 10 years since. Fifteen commissioners were elected last fall and started work to review the charter early this year. There are three representatives from each of the five county council districts.
Many of proposals so far would affect the County Council: Enlarge it? Make its members nonpartisan? Give the council greater control over union negotiations?
Bob Terwilliger, a former county auditor and the commission’s first vice chairman, has suggested expanding eligibility to run for county offices. One idea is to lower the minimum age for office holders to 18 from 21. Another would shorten the residency requirement to one year from the current three.
Commissioner Shawn O’Donnell, a restaurant owner who is active in GOP circles, favors making the council and county executive’s jobs nonpartisan. O’Donnell said the shift would make the electoral process more inclusive.
“As the way that things are now, if you identify yourself as independent, you have no chance of being elected and I think that’s unfortunate,” he said at last week’s charter review meeting.
Commissioner Ed Barton made a counter argument: that eliminating partisan labels deprives voters of useful information about a candidate’s political outlook.
Voters in 1996 elected to make the Snohomish County assessor, auditor, clerk, sheriff and treasurer’s jobs nonpartisan.
A proposal to again make all county offices partisan has so far failed to get traction.
Commissioners also have discussed getting rid of term limits, though several predicted it would “get crushed” at the ballot box. As is, county elected officials must step down after three consecutive four-year terms.
Commissioner John Koster, a former county councilman and county ombudsman, focused on accountability.
Koster suggested examining how the county handles whistleblower complaints. Current procedures put the deputy executive in charge of those complaints, but Koster thinks they should be handled by a third party if they focus on the executive or the executive’s staff. Complaints against Aaron Reardon’s staff when he was county executive raised questions about whistleblower procedures.
Similarly, Koster has suggested using a third party to review ethics complaints against members of the County Council. Council staff handles those now.
He suggested using the prosecuting attorney’s office or the ombudsman might be a logical third party.
Koster wants to incorporate the ombudsman’s office into the charter. He served as the county’s first ombudsman during 2014, but lost his job a year later after former county Executive John Lovick asked the council not to reappoint him. Koster later filed a damage claim over his ouster, alleging violations of his free speech.
The ombudsman is tasked with helping people resolve problems working with county government and to make recommendations for improving efficiency.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
Meetings
The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has scheduled community meetings on upcoming Wednesday nights to discuss changing county government. Meetings start at 7 p.m:
March 16: Marysville City Hall, 1049 State Ave.
March 23: Mill Creek City Hall, 15728 Main St.
March 30: Edmonds City Council Chambers, 250 5th Ave. North
April 6: Mukilteo City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way
April 20: east Snohomish County, location to be announced
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