12/03/2006: "New Council Members Take Office Today"

The long wait for a full County Council will come to an end on Monday morning, December 4th ( Agenda ), when three newly elected council members, Gene Knapp, a former SJC County Prosecutor who will now represent Orcas; Howie Rosenfeld, who resigns as a member of the Friday Harbor Town Council to become the town representative, and new comer to the political scene, Rich Peterson, will be representing San Juan Island, will join the County Council. And all of the council members will of course represent San Juan County as a whole.

One of the first questions that will need to be addressed is how many of them will be present to pass the 2007 budget, since some of them are expected to attend a short course that is put on for newly elected county officials, and this has presented a conflict with the agenda date allocated for a hearing and passage of the budget.

A more mundane matter much discussed by the current Council, is where will all of them work, and where will they sit when in session? Should be an interesting first week, and as time goes by it may become more interesting as the dynamics of the new Council become apparent; not only between the council embers, but also how it may affect County government as a whole. (Read a Letter to Editor on this subject: The Day Has Come )