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Charter commission will meet, attempt to close legal loophole that could void election

Published 12:01 am Friday, November 2, 2007

By Jim Casey, Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES – Clallam County’s Charter Review Commission will have one last meeting today to plug a legal leak in the charter changes they’ve proposed to voters.

A chance exists that it could sink whatever amendments voters approve in the election that ends Tuesday.

The special session will start at 6 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room (160) of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St.

The problem surfaced earlier this week when Ron Richards, a Clallam County commissioner from 1977 to 1981, sought the wording of how the charter would read if voters adopt any of the five proposed changes.

The charter functions as Clallam County’s constitution.

If approved by voters Tuesday, the changes would:

  • Authorize county commissioners to adopt instant runoff voting, also known as ranked choice voting.

  • Forbid the county to use eminent domain primarily for economic development.

  • Return the director of the Department of Community Development to an appointed position.

  • Bring the charter into line with state law concerning independent candidates in partisan primary elections.

  • Change from five to eight the number of years between charter reviews.

    Although Richards found the proposed changes – also known as ballot titles – he could not find the actual language the changes would produce.

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