On the general election ballot, people are asked to vote on some amendments to the Snohomish County Charter. The charter is like the constitution of the county. We each served on the 2006 Snohomish County Charter Review Commission, which researched and created these amendments. We urge you to vote yes on Propositions 1, 4, and 5; and no on Proposition 6.
Proposition 1 creates an independent salary commission to set the salaries of county elected officials. This takes the politics out of the process.
Proposition 4 creates transparency at the county council by ensuring public access to the council’s voting records, agendas and meeting minutes. It also gives the public the opportunity to give comments at any council meeting. Voting yes on Proposition 4 will give the elected council the incentive to be more open and timely for public scrutiny about the rules that affect our daily lives.
Proposition 5 makes needed changes to the county’s election laws to bring them into compliance with the new state election laws.
Proposition 6 moves the performance auditor from the county auditor’s office to the county council. This is unnecessary because the council already has the power to conduct performance audits separately from those under the county auditor. In fact, the council hired its own performance auditor a few years ago to study the planning department’s efficiency. In 1996, the charter was amended to give this performance auditing power to both the county auditor and the county council. The performance auditor is less likely to be politically influenced under the nonpartisan county auditor than under the partisan council.
Jim Kenny, Kristin Kelly
&Wendy Valentine
Charter Review Commissioners
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