Sports
Wolverines rebound after loss; rout Loggers page 9
Scene
‘Courageous’ comes to town, free film screening page 11
Editorial
Attend Opalco’s 75th annual meeting, May, 5... there’s loads of free stuff, and brunch too page 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 16
of the San Juan Islands
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Sheriff in hunt for boat
Sales tax hike gathers support
Looks to fire districts to help share maintenance costs
By Scott Rasmussen
By Colleen Armstrong
Islands Sounder Web site editor, Editor
Sheriff Rob Nou has a lofty goal. He is applying for a Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase a $750,000 multi-mission, public safety boat to be utilized by county-wide agencies. Nou feels he has a compelling argument to win the nation-wide grant because of San Juan County’s close proximity to the border. “The boat would address the collective public safety needs of San Juan County,” he said. “It would be a water ambulance and have a water pump … my vision is for this to be a shared asset.” Nou wants to work collaboratively with the fire districts and share the burden of ongoing maintenance and usage costs. He presented his idea to the Orcas Fire board last week. While the commissioners gave conceptual support, they couldn’t give a concrete “yes” until numbers are on the table. The sheriff ’s office owns three boats: the 32-foot aluminum Guardian, a 29-foot Boston Whaler that is stationed at the Orcas Ferry Landing dock and a 19-foot vessel on Lopez. Nou says the Orcas boat underwent major repairs last summer and is “slowly sinking.” The San Juan Island Fire District See BOAT, Page 4
Journal photo /Scott Rasmussen
Members of the Charter Review Commission at work in the early stages of the panel’s review, at the San Juan Island Grange. Commissioners agreed early on to support a return to three full-time legislators for the county.
Back to the future
CRC’s fix for county gov’t: three—not six— legislators By Steve Werhly
The San Juan County Charter Review Commission has decided to roll back the clock – to the days when the county’s top elected officials were known as the board of county commissioners. And to the days when three -- not six -- elected officials held the reins of county government, and worked full time. “We know there is opposition,” said Maureen See, vice-chairwoman of the CRC, “But the testimony before the commission has been overwhelmingly in favor of a three-person council.” In addition, the commission intends to recommend a return to countywide elections, in which candidates from three council districts would be elected by all the voters in the county.
“The original home rule charter had a threemember council, which I supported and voted for,” CRC Chairman Gordy Petersen said of Proposition 1, which created the basic Home Rule Charter and was approved in 2005 by nearly 63 percent of voters. “But I didn’t support the 6-person small-district amendment.” That amendment to the “basic” charter, known as Proposition 2, passed with 55 percent of ballots cast in the same election. Under the commission-proposed charter amendment, voters county-wide would elect a non-partisan County Council from three districts, whose boundaries would correspond roughly to the three legislative districts which divided the county before Prop. 2 went into effect. Each council member would be a resident of their respective districts. In support of a return to a three-person legislative body, which would also manage the county’s day-to-day operations, Petersen argues that the See Charter, Page 3
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
At 7.8 percent, the sales tax in San Juan County is one of the lowest in the state. But that could soon change, depending on the outcome of the August primary. Local elected officials have been gathering paperwork to ensure voters have a chance to weigh in on a financing mechanishm that, compared to property taxes, tourists would pay, too. “This would be a way for visitors to contribute too,” Prosecuting Attornery Randy Gaylord said.
(Read the story in its entirety on SanJuanJournal.com)
SPRINGTIDE 2012
Reserve your non-glossy ad now! Sales deadline is April 26.