Vote yes on proposed county charter amendments | Letter

Published 9:42 am Tuesday, October 16, 2012

I’m writing to encourage a YES vote on the proposed county charter amendments. Much misinformation is circulating about the process of the Charter Review Committee, but the falsifications have been dealt with in previous letters and at this point what matters is voting for effective and fair county government.

Everyone in San Juan County lives with the separation caused by a geography that divides us. Do we really want to continue to exacerbate this balkanization by maintaining a political structure of six separate legislative voting districts where each of us can only vote for 17 percent of our governing body? Our only hope of survival in the tumultuous times to come is to pull together as a county, not to pull apart. Currently, when voting by district, each council member is voted on by, and thereby only represents approximately 1,950 voters. It’s too small a number. If this isn’t the smallest county voting district in the United States I’m sure it is very close to it.

Every one of our residents should be allowed to vote for ALL of our council. The following are facts, not opinion: The proposed charter amendment (Proposition 1) has a residency district which means that no one island can have two council members. It guarantees “at large” voting for ALL county voters in both the primary and general elections. Nobody can be elected to the council unless she or he has received over 50 percent of the entire county vote.

Vote for common sense. Vote for a wholesome democracy. Please vote YES.

Winnie Adams

Waldron Island