A new county charter is much needed. Opponents continue to argue that no separation of powers between the executive and legislative functions of county government is necessary because such separation already exists in the form of an elected sheriff, treasurer, auditor, clerk, etc., and an independently elected judiciary. In fact, all of those offices are under the fiscal control of the county commissioners, who set the budgets for county departments regardless of whether the heads of such departments are elected or appointed.
County commissioners under the current form of government constantly shift between carrying out executive/administrative duties and acting in a legislative capacity. They are elected to office regardless of whether they have the skills or qualifications to run an organization of 1,600 employees and administer a biennial budget of $850 million.
Cities and counties have been using the council-manager form of government very successfully for many decades. Cities as large as Dallas, Texas, find it to be the preferred form of government. Appointed managers or county executives are absolutely subject to oversight, control and removal by elected officials. Statutory three-person county commissions may have adequately served their constituents in the 19th century but they are an unfortunate anachronism today, particularly in a county with almost half-a-million residents.
Ted Gathe
Vancouver
