Sports
Scene
Rough patch on the road; Wolverines swept at Lynden Christian
The story of a couple’s dream, their boat and bliss
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Editorial Charter review — not for the squeamish, but a most excellent opportunity to become informed PAGE 6
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 3
of the San Juan Islands
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Gregoire floats fix for ‘Ferries’
District seeks $3.7 M upgrade
Plan includes a new $1.50 per barrel fee on in-state oil production
Journal staff report
By Scott Panitz, reporter WNPA Olympia News Bureau
“Without new funding our ferry system will not survive as we know it,” Gov. Chris Gregoire told Washington’s legislators, as she unveiled a $3.6 billion transp or tation package to address the state’s projected funding shortfall for its programs Jan. 10 Governor Gregoire in Olympia. Nearly a third of the total transportation funds would be used to cover a projected $1.3 billion deficit in the ferry system. Gregoire, in her state-of-the state message to a joint session of the Washington legislature, went on to describe how the 10-year development and operations package would be funded with a $1.50 fee on each barrel of oil produced in the state. The governor also declared the planned expenditures would create an estimated 5,500 jobs per year for transportation infrastructure. As a fee, the proposal is a way around the two-thirds legislative See GREGOIRE, Page 3
Journal photo / Scott Rasmussen
Administrator Pete Rose explains the ups and downs of life under the county charter in a presentation to the Charter Review Commission, Saturday, at the Grange Hall in Friday Harbor.
Charter: too many chiefs? Demands of council subcommittees a drain on resources, administrator says By Scott Rasmussen
Talk isn’t cheap, at least not when the County Council gets involved. In fact, San Juan County Administrator Pete Rose contends that the proliferation of council subcommittees, a byproduct of the county’s Home Rule charter, has taken a toll on the effectiveness and the efficiency of local government. Rose said the amount of time and resources required of county staff to fulfill the various requests of those subcommittees is “off the charts”. And the administrator is not immune. “It’s taken me off my A-game,” Rose said of the additional demands. On Saturday, in a presentation to the Charter Review Commission, Rose unveiled a package of mixed reviews regarding the benefits and draw-
backs ushered in six years ago by the charter, including that no-holds-barred critique of the council’s involvement in day-to-day operations. The Review Commission meets this Saturday on Orcas Island, tentatively at the Orcas Hotel, beginning at 7:30 a.m. On the plus side, Rose said the budget process is improved, computer and electronic capabilites have been enhanced, and quality of the workforce is increasing. Still, he notes efficiencies might be gained by merging the financial departments, all of three which are managed by independently elected officials. “Don’t be afraid to consolidate financial offices,” he said. Auditor Milene Henley, who oversees the Elections department as well, followed Rose in offering the commission a presentation of her own. Elected in November, the 21-person charter review panel is tasked with recommending posSee CHARTER, Page 4
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
School officials hit the campaign trail last week seeking support for renewal of San Juan Island School District’s four-year capital and technology levy — at a greater amount. First stop was, on Wednesday, the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club. “There’s always some sensitivity to the tax issue,” school board chairman Brent Snow said. “But I think all the rotarians understand that an investment now in our facilities, and in public education in general, makes more sense than See SCHOOLS, Page 4
Local Artist Yvonne Bujis-Mancuso has been accepted into the 2012 Collective Vision Gallery. Her encaustic painting “Monet in Situ” (above) is one of 136 artworks chosen. See story on page 16.