Orcas Island’s two council members want county citizens to be involved. And they are providing a prime opportunity for open discussion by holding a town hall meeting.

County Council Members Richard Fralick, District 4, Orcas West, Gene Knapp, District 5, Orcas East along with County Administrator Pete Rose will host the meeting at the Eastsound Fire Station on Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The event will begin with a brief presentation by the councilmen on current county issues, followed by a questions and answers forum.

Knapp says he would like to see a good exchange of ideas.

“There is no apathy in San Juan County – and that is wonderful,” he said.

Fralick added, “It is not the county council’s government, it is the people’s government. The thought is, you’ve got to trust your citizens. Our citizens are very involved, very passionate, and very smart. The county has decisions coming up for where it wants to be in five to 10 years. And those can’t be made in a vacuum.”

Some of the issues the councilmen hope to hear questions about are the Growth Management Act, Washington State Ferries, stormwater, the fireworks ban, peddling enforcement, Rosario, property tax assessment, housing authority, and county finances.

Fralick says the top issue in the county right now is money. He recently returned from a trip to Olympia, where he said it was the same: money, money, money.

If the public responds positively, they are willing to hold more town hall meetings in the future. Fralick held his first office hours on Orcas this month and plans to do so again periodically.