You have read a great deal about charter amendments 1 and 2, but not much about the third proposal. Proposition 3 will ensure better transparency in county government by requiring that all meetings of the county council and its subcommittees must be properly noticed and open to the public. Exceptions include discussions of personnel issues, real estate purchases, and a few other areas, per the RCWs.

Transparency in government is essential to assure fairness. Washington has a very strong Open Public Meetings Act. This legislation means that the public’s business is conducted in public – warts and all, that the deliberative process for legislation is as open and transparent as possible, and that citizens can participate as fully.

This wasn’t an issue for our county under three commissioners, since any two constituted a quorum and the OPMA obviously applied. Things changed when the charter went into effect and there were six council members. The six-member council initially formed subcommittees with two or three members that could meet in private to study an issue in depth and compose a weighty recommendation to the entire council.

The council relied on a preliminary legal opinion by the county prosecuting attorney, who thought that the OPMA did not apply to subcommittees. Several months later, he pursued the issue in greater depth and concluded that subcommittee meetings were subject to the act after all.  Shortly thereafter, the county council voted to make this their official policy.

So, it’s moot now, right?  Wrong! The charter needs to protect open public subcommittee meetings.  If the prosecuting attorney could, in good faith, advise the council first one way and then another, then nothing but the good will of the council (or the threat of litigation) prevents a vote to eliminate transparency.  County voters need to tell the council that we believe in governmental transparency. Period. I hope that you will vote to pass all three of the charter amendments.  Regardless of your position on Props. 1 and 2, I strongly urge you to vote for Prop. 3.

Moana Kutsche

Orcas Island