02/06/2007: "Nearly 100 County Council Priorities For '07'"

At the end of 2006 the County Council first took a stab at listing what their "Legislative Priorities" for 2007 should be. The list was short and seemed to be reasonable, and while not overly ambitions, it was at least realistic to the extent that perhaps some possible gains could be made toward some of the goals; even if most of them were not really within the power of Council action to have much of an affect on, such as "restoration" of the Capron funds, or the "Streamlining of the Sales Tax". But at the local level they could at least "support Community and Mental Health" and continue to try and "save Lopez Hill", and the number one -at least then- Council priority for 2007 was "Salmon Recovery" programs at the county level.

By the beginning of January the possible list of priorities had swelled to nearly 100 items; a list that County Administrator Pete Rose stated "represented at least five years of work for the Council". After a public review of the list by the Council, a few of the invited department heads who showed up, and two or three members of the public, some of whom had suggestions and questions, the Council decided to follow Rose's suggestion to the Council that the most effective way to deal with the list was to create an "annualized process" that would include "input from Council, board, commissions and committees, the public (and) county departments". The Council decided to put the list out to the county departments for their review and ask if there was anything else that perhaps should be on the list.

The fair ferry fares issue sailed right up to the top of the list after it became clear that fares were going to be raised, and Rose suggested that the Council may want to show their concern by placing the item as the number one priority when "they" went to the WA State Association of Counties Legislative Rally that was held at the end of last month. While the Council decided Rose was correct, and placed "ferries" at the top of the priorities list, they then decided Rose should not go to the rally , even though he had been invited by the Association to attend..

It is expected that when the Council holds an upcoming, long awaited, and much discussed "retreat" at the Friday Harbor Commons room at the Washington Labs, the long list of priorities will be addressed, and hopefully will be useful. In a written report to the Council Roses stated: "The process of setting goals with prioritized objective is an opportunity for a Council to find its leadership compass and, equally important, an opportunity to explore the values its membership has in common and in difference."

(Read a letter to the Editor on "Council Priorities"