October-November 2005
Charter Amendment 3
Shall Section 3.52 of the Whatcom County Charter be amended to add a duty on the Auditor to publish and distribute a voters’ pamphlet for all Whatcom County primary and general elections?
Statement for:
I urge the voters of Whatcom County to support Charter Amendment 3. Having a voters’ pamphlet for local elections will enable voters to learn about candidates: their backgrounds, qualifications, political philosophy and goals when in office. Voters will then be able to better cast an informed vote in local elections. It will be especially useful for those newer voters in Whatcom County. The cost of the pamphlet will be shared by the city and county governments as an election cost using the same formula that is used for other election costs.
Statement prepared by:
Bertella Hansen, Charter Review Commissioner, District 3
Statement Against:
All Charter Review Commissioners are in favor of a voters’ pamphlet. County voters should be informed about the candidates and issues they have to vote on. And sending a pamphlet to each voter would be helpful in this education.
The concern for those voting in the minority on this issue was the concern that we were discussing a budget issue within the County Charter. Is the County Charter the place to basically “tax” the people of Whatcom County and discuss the amount of money required to produce a pamphlet? No matter the funding formula, why should the Charter dictate an annual expense for the county taxpayers?
Let’s leave the budget decisions up to the elected council members and lobby them to fund a voters’ pamphlet. Let us not mandate this as part of the County’s Constitution. Vote No on Charter Amendment 3.
Statement prepared by:
Charlie Crabtree and Yvonne Goldsmith,
Charter Review Commissioners, District 3
