With just five members, the Snohomish County Council might not be big enough to represent the growing number of county residents, according to a government reform panel.
At the same time, there might be too many directly elected county officials — and positions such as sheriff and auditor might better function as appointed officials, panel members said.
Those ideas resonated with most of the 15 members of the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission, which met last week to brainstorm government reforms to send to voters in November.
“These are just issues on the table right now,” purely for discussion, said Gail Rauch, a three-term elected county clerk.
The eight women and seven men were elected in November for the once-a-decade chance to amend the charter, which controls how county government operates.
Other ideas that earned nods of interest include:
• Creating a county airport commission for more control of Paine Field’s future;
• More power for the county executive in the form of a line-item veto;
• Allowing the county to have two-year budgets;
• A clearer county initiative process;
• County Council rules and procedures, and code of ethics and campaign finance disclosures;
• Creating a county ombudsman;
“We came up with a pretty good list,” said commissioner Renee Radcliff Sinclair of Lynnwood, a former state representative.
The charter was approved in 1980 and reviewed in 1986 and 1996. In 1986, the commission recommended five changes, one of which was approved by voters. In 1996, eight recommendations were sent to voters, and six were approved.
The new list is expected to prompt more research and discussion at future meetings. The commission plans to meet with each of the county’s elected officials, and also seek public comment for more ideas.
Mill Creek City Councilman Mark Bond is a member of the charter commission.
Jeff Switzer is a reporter with The Herald in Everett.
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