REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
Central Kitsap swimmer Kelsey Crane recently reached ironman status P 12
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011 | Vol. 27, No. 8 WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
Bremerton City Council, is less more?
Full council
Voters will decide, or not, to shrink council size by two members BY KRISTIN OKINAKA KOKINAKA@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
Reducing the Bremerton City Council size from nine to seven members could mean more interaction from councilmembers, say proponents. But those against it say that there is nothing wrong with the council now, so there is no reason to change it. Voters will decide whether less means more to them. City councilmember Greg Wheeler proposed downsizing the council size last spring. When he first got into office in 2010, he said he thought that having nine districts was fine. Although he ran unopposed and some people asked him about that, it wasn’t until he was inside when he began to think differently. “We’re not having contested races. With reducing the council size, we will have the opportunity for contested races,” he said. Wheeler said that by having contested races, it will get councilmembers and candidates out and interacting more with voters. “It’s an important check and balance that has been missing,” Wheeler added. SEE COUNCIL, A8
Central Kitsap school district considers alternatives to levy Superintendent Greg Lynch describes the Central Kitsap School District finances as “hemorrhaging” BY JJ SWANSON JSWANSON@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
The Central Kitsap school district’s loss of federal impact aid and state funding leaves them facing an estimated $6.8 million gap for the upcoming scholl year. Talks of a supplemental levy to help make up the difference are underway, and the school
board is set to vote on this issue Nov. 9. Meanwhile, the district is considering any and all alternative solutions. “The school board and myself know that the timing is not great [for this levy]. But the school district is as near to the per Greg Skinner/staff photo
SEE ALTERNATIVES, A8
Members of Bremerton’s nine-member City Council stand while Wednesday night’s meeting is called to order.