The County Council voted unanimously yesterday to change the number of Charter Review Commissioners (CRC) from 18 to 21. As a result of the change, the number of commissioners from District 2, San Juan North, will increase from three to four; from District 3, Friday Harbor, from two to three; and from District 6, Lopez/Shaw, from three to four.

The change came about because of a report from County Auditor Milene Henley. Henley observed that although the previous allocation resulted in a proportionate allocation by district population, it resulted in a disproportionate allocation by island population. Allocating 18 commissioners by population by district resulted in eight CRC members from San Juan Island, seven from Orcas, and three from Lopez/Shaw. Allocating the same number by population by island resulted in nine members from San Juan, six from Orcas, and three from Lopez/Shaw.

At 21 CRC members, the allocations by district and by island are equal. The distribution by district is:

District 1, San Juan South: 3

District 2, San Juan North: 4

District 3, Friday Harbor: 3

District 4, Orcas West: 4

District 5, Orcas East: 3

District 6, Lopez/Shaw: 4

This is the same distribution used for the Board of Freeholders elected in 2004 to write the Charter.

The change does not affect the positions currently being filed for during candidate filingweek. Because CRC members are all elected at large within their district, it means only that rather than the three top vote-getters in District 2 (for example)winning, the top four vote-getters will win.

For more information about the election of Charter Review Commission members, contact the Elections Office at 378-3357 or visit http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/sanjuan/Pages/default.aspx