Southwest Suburban Sewer District- Proposition No. 1

BALLOT TITLE
PROPOSITION NO. 1
Shall the Board of Commissioners of the Southwest Suburban Sewer District be increased from three to five members?

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT:
If the measure passes into law the Board of Commissioners of Southwest Suburban Sewer District shall be increased from three to five members. The two additional positions shall be filled initially as for a vacancy, except that the appointees shall draw lots, one appointee to serve until the next district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms, and the other appointee to serve until the second district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms.

STATEMENT FOR
Increasing the size of the Board from three members to five leads to stronger public participation, higher quality decisions and greater control by officials elected by you.
The Southwest Suburban Sewer District Board manages assets worth $49 million and has an environmental responsibility that is simply priceless. The public’s money and the water quality of Puget Sound should have the highest level of public input possible. Two new members will add additional experience and two new sets of eyes and ears. This will lead to better decisions, better balanced and better considered. Additionally, having five members will permit commissioners to work together without violating the Open Meetings Act, an encouragement of good government and free and lively debate.
The District prides itself in having the lowest rates in the region. Transition to a five member Board will cause no rate increase. Further, current scheduling problems, in part caused by Commissioner involvement in other community or personal activities that now lead to costly delays and canceled meetings, would all but disappear.
Faster, better considered, more balanced decisions are good for the District’s ratepayers and will flow from this change from a three to a five member Board.

REBUTTAL OF STATEMENT AGAINST
Adding Commisioners is necessary to avoid costly delays due to divided or postponed votes. All three Commissioners have on occasion caused scheduling changes.
You do and will have input! Your citizens advisory Committee has endorsed the increase. Further, only ratepayers may be appointed, and each must then stand for election, the first in 1999 on the same ballot as a second commissioner.
For greater Democracy, input and efficiency, PLEASE VOTE YES!

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: BILL TRACY, GEORGE WHERLEY, JAMES JENNINGS

STATEMENT AGAINST
Voters should reject this measure for several reasons:
The most compelling reason is that adding two commissioners to the board is not only unnecessary, it will add another costly layer of bureaucratic fat at the expense of the ratepayers.
Ratepayers would have no voice in who would be appointed. They will be picked by the two commissioners who are the proponents of the measure.
The entire sewer system infrastructure was built under the guidance of a three member board. Everything is built and operational. The additional commissioners would be hand picked to maintain control and to perpetuate the proponents self serving agenda.
The proponents of this measure argue it is sometimes difficult for a commissioner to attend meetings. This is not a valid reason to add additional commissioners. Two commissioners constitute a quorum and can conduct legal meetings without the third commissioner. They also argue additional commissioners will bring ideas and experience to the board. Outside suggestions and experience are always ignored by the two commissioner proponents.
Three honest and dedicated commissioners are more than adequate to oversee the affairs of the Sewer District. Don’t allow more of your money to be needlessly wasted. Vote NO!

REBUTTAL OF STATEMENT FOR
Proponents imply you will elect the new members. NOT TRUE—see argument against. They want to stack the deck with cronies so they may continue misusing your money for at least three more years.
Proponents say five members lead to better decisions and stronger public participation. NOT TRUE—public input is always stifled and decisions are self-serving.
They say "no rate increase." NOT TRUE—extending present board control will guarantee a steep rate increase!

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: JOHN JOVANOVICH, JIM HENRY

NOTE: The Division of Records and Elections is not authorized to edit statements, nor is it responsible for their contents.