But adding two more commissioners would be more expensive
Throughout its 97-year history, the Port of Vancouver has been guided by three elected commissioners.
But at this week’s port meeting, Commissioner Jerry Oliver surprised his co-commissioners and port staff with a proposal to increase that number to five.
“The public meeting law doesn’t allow any two commissioners to have a conversation off the record to mull things over, because two of us constitute a quorum,” Oliver said. “I think (a five-member commission) could be more effective.”
It would also be more expensive. The port spends up to $35,770 per year on pay, health benefits and travel expenses for each of its three commissioners, who are elected for six-year terms.
At a time when the port is trimming its budget, port staff and its other two commissioners are cautious about expanding payroll.
“There are significant costs … (and) you need to be careful about that, especially now,” said Larry Paulson, the port’s executive director. “We’re actually trying to keep (costs) down.”
Adding two commissioners might also require the port to hire more support personnel, said former port commissioner Arch Miller. And the public would face the prospect of helping commission candidates raise $30,000 to $50,000 campaigning for the position, he said.
“The ports of Tacoma and Seattle have five-member commissions, but they’re much larger than the Port of Vancouver,” Miller said. “I think the smaller commission can do a better job.”
Most Washington ports operate with three commissioners, as do other agencies such as Clark County government and Clark Public Utilities.
“I was surprised that (Oliver’s idea) came out when it did,” said Commissioner Nancy Baker, who says she doesn’t share Oliver’s concern about restricted communications with her fellow commissioners.
“I’d want a whole lot more information,” before supporting Oliver’s proposal, she said.
Baker would like to know the potential costs and whether the port’s three districts would be redrawn. Regulations allow for two new commissioners to be elected at-large or that their districts would be redrawn from three.
‘A pretty good job’
Commissioner Brian Wolfe says he agrees that a three-member commission “isn’t necessarily the best way to have governance.” However, he says, the current commission does “a pretty good job” as it is, and he’d like to explore the costs before pushing ahead with an expansion.
Oliver agrees that a financial analysis of his proposal is needed, though he hasn’t put a cost cap on what he’ll consider moving forward with.
Port staff will prepare a report of the estimated cost before the next commission meeting in January. The commission would then vote on the issue before sending it to the public for a vote. The additions wouldn’t be made until the next election cycle in 2011.
