King County Charter under review by panel

Just as the Constitution is the rulebook for the federal government, King County government abides by the County Charter.

Every decade, a commission is formed to review the charter and consider improvements. The last King County Charter amendment was in 2004, when voters decided to downsize the County Council from 13 members to nine.

The current Charter Review Commission held a public hearing at The Hall at Fauntleroy June 20 to gather ideas from people about what to consider changing on the King County blueprint. This fall they will deliberate the issues people bring up and are scheduled to propose any charter amendments next spring. The public will have a chance to comment on the amendments proposed before the County Council votes on whether or not to put them on the November 2008 ballot. Then voters would ultimately decide which, if any, amendments are to be adopted.

Only about 18 people attended the hearing at The Hall at Fauntleroy but, so far, that's been the largest turnout yet at charter review meetings being held in each of the County Council districts.

Much of the evening's discussion orbited around a handful of issues, including a suggestion to use "proportional representation" to elect high-ranking county officeholders instead of the winner-take-all system currently used.

Under proportional representation, people would vote for their first choice among candidates for an elected office. They also would vote for their second, third, fourth and successive choices, no matter how many candidates there are.

The candidate with the most first-choice votes wins. If no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. Those same ballots would be passed to those voters' second-choice candidates. The winnowing process would continue until one candidate had a majority of votes. That person would be elected.

Proportional representation nullifies the need for primary elections because a winner can be determined in one vote.

Janet Anderson from a group called Citizens for Proportional Representation said the current system "over-represents the winner."

Proportional representation "gives more weight to your recommendation," she said, noting British Columbia and New Zealand are considering switching from their current winner-take-all system to proportional representation.

Delridge resident Lindsey Nussbaum told the commission he supports proportional representation or "instant voting" as it is sometimes called. The system is being used in San Francisco, in Cambridge, Mass. and Ireland, he added.

Opposing the proportional representation method was Ivan Weiss, a Vashon Island resident and chairman of the 34th District Democratic Organization.

"We're against 'instant runoff voting,'" Weiss said on behalf of local Democrats. He warned that proportional representation "will blur party lines."

"It's meant to cut in on the two-party system. The two-party system has worked pretty well," Weiss said. "We'll do everything possible to drive a stake in the heart of instant runoff voting."

Another County Charter issue discussed at the meeting was whether to keep the office of sheriff as an elected position or return to the practice of appointing the sheriff.

Liz Giba and Ron Johnson, members of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, both said they want to continue voting in sheriff races.

Meanwhile, former North Highline Council member Mark Ufkes said he favors an appointed sheriff.

"An elected sheriff is a bad idea," Ufkes said. "It puts money ahead of the integrity of the position."

A member of the Charter Review Commission is Gary Long, former city manager of Burien.

"The more elected officials, the less likely they are to work together effectively," Long said. "Also, getting a timely decision is very difficult."

King County's relationship with its unincorporated areas also was discussed, particularly in regard to the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council.

Several people complained that North Highline Council members are frequently elected with a handful of votes. Some members recently won seats on the council with just four votes.

Former council member Ufkes said he won a seat with seven votes one time and nine votes another. So few people vote that the North Highline Council cannot legitimately claim to represent White Center or Boulevard Park, he said.

The tiny turnout for council elections also means the council should not be making policy recommendations to the community, Ufkes said.

Boulevard Park resident Claire Henson agreed. While the North Highline Council previously voted to recommend North Highline become part of Burien, residents of Boulevard Park voted in 2002 to annex to Seattle, she said.

Another vote among Boulevard Park residents the following year indicated a preference to incorporate and form their own city, she said.

Henson also criticized King County for stating on its website that the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council represents North Highline residents. With so few voters legitimizing the council, it's "ludicrous" for the county to claim the North Highline Council represents Boulevard Park and White Center, she said.

Liz Giba, vice president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, told the commission the low voter turnout for the election was because there were no contested races.

North Highline residents speak dozens of languages and many work numerous jobs, which limits their time for community involvement, Giba said. She asked King County to help the North Highline Council reach out to the community's many non-English-speaking residents to get them involved in the council's activities.

King County should adopt policies in the charter that promote economic as well as environmental sustainability, said Lindsey Nussbaum. He said the County Charter ought to embrace "green" building techniques too.

King County Councilman Dow Constantine represents West Seattle, White Center, Burien and Vashon and Maury islands. Reducing the size of the County Council has had its pluses and minuses, he said. It means county residents have less contact with elected county officials, Constantine said, but communication among council members improved.

"The (financial) savings have been relatively inconsequential," Constantine said of the switch to a smaller County Council.

Tim St. Clair can be contacted at timstc@robinsonnews.com 932-0300.