The value of a five member board:
With a population of 43,000 in fire district 43, the power of the governing body should not be vested in a majority vote of two commissioners. The Tahoma school district board is comprised of 5 members; the city of Maple Valley is governed by a 7 member council. Likewise, a broader base of representation is needed for the taxpaying residents of the fire district and to provide a broader community perspective.
Problem situations arise with a three commission board in the absence of one of the members. Two comprise a quorum to conduct business, however a stalemate or deadlock can hamper decision making.
With three commissioners any discussion of district business by two of them, when not in an open public meeting, can be a violation of the Open Public Meetings Act. When board members travel together, or just talk, it is difficult to avoid such violations. Committee work on district issues by two commissioners is also prohibited making it harder to complete district business efficiently. Five commissioners offer many opportunities to gather in subcommittees to complete the work at hand.
Vote YES for broader representation and efficiency on February 9.
Statement submitted by: Dwight Van Zanen and Bill Van Ruff
