Clark County Today continues its Charter Review Commission series as candidates outline proposals to strengthen oversight, transparency, and citizen accountability.

Clark County Today continues its series on views of candidates for the Charter Review Commission in the Nov. 4 general election

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

One of the things that many voters find frustrating when assessing a candidate for public office is when the candidate expresses dissatisfaction with the status quo but they offer no solution for how to make the government run more efficiently. When it comes to the candidates for the Clark County Charter Review Commission in the Nov. 4 general election, that isn’t a problem – at least when it comes to oversight and accountability.

Clark County Today provided all Charter Review Commission candidates an opportunity to answer a number of questions in advance of the Nov. 4 general election. Eleven candidates accepted that opportunity to respond and this is the third story in a series designed to share the candidates’ views on the County Charter, adopted by voters in 2014.

The question regarding oversight and accountability was this:

What, if any, improvements would you suggest to ensure greater accountability and transparency in how county government operates?

The candidates had an abundance of ideas of how to amend the charter to better serve county residents.

“I believe all county employees should be made accountable to the people they work for, the citizens of Clark County. Councilors should be allowed to engage directly with department heads and there should be an annual performance review process for the county manager,’’ said Brad Benton (District 5, Position 1). “Empowering the Council with more oversight will give the people greater influence in their government and foster greater transparency.’’

“To ensure greater accountability and transparency, I would support measures that strengthen Council oversight, including easier access to information, regular reporting from the executive branch, and the ability to initiate investigations when needed,’’ said John Jay (District 3, Position 3).

Giving councilors more freedom to interact with county staff was a common theme among the candidates

“There should be more allowance for councilors to interact directly with department heads. Not to direct them except that the department heads should provide more timely information so Councilors can do their jobs more efficiently and effectively,’’ said Bob Runnells (District 2, Position 2).

Other candidates got very specific, offering measures designed to achieve these goals.

Liz Cline (District 4, Position 1) was the most detailed of all candidates, offering the following measures for consideration:

Annual reviews of all county employees should be conducted, linking merit-based raises and job retention to outcomes measured by key performance indicators (KPIs).
360-degree reviews are to be implemented for the county manager and department managers.
A non-retaliation policy should be established and enforced for employees to safeguard reports of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse.
Required annual signing and retention of the Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics, and Conflict of Interest agreements by all county employees managed and retained by Human Resources.
Establish a back-to-work policy that requires employees to work onsite in county offices, ending all remote work arrangements.
Department-specific Net Promoter Score (NPS) metrics based on citizen ratings of service rendered may be developed to identify departments or individuals receiving positive feedback and highlight areas for improvement.
Public access to a detailed online county budget should be provided.
Require online spending reports to keep the community informed.

Jill Ross (District 3, Position 1) proposed three amendments to the charter.

“To ensure greater accountability and transparency in Clark County government operations, I propose three charter amendments,’’ Ross said. “First, require a super majority vote for tax increases, as seen in other counties’ charters, to ensure broad consensus and protect residents from unnecessary financial burdens. Second, mandate independent, outside audits, as implemented in Pierce County (Section 2.20(f)), to improve efficiency and effectiveness through objective oversight. Third, incorporate a balanced budget requirement, a standard in every other Washington state county charter, to prevent deficit spending and maintain fiscal discipline. These measures, inspired by proven practices, will enhance trust and ensure government prioritizes resident needs.’’

Kirk VanGelder (District 4, Position 3) went as far as to propose more citizen involvement in the oversight.

“I would like to see a citizen advisory committee that oversees each major department of the county government (Jail, Sheriff, Courts, Public Works, etc) that is tasked with overseeing the budgetary and regulatory processes of the department. They would then report both to the department and Council,’’ VanGelder said.

Similarly, Duncan Hoss (District 5, Position 2) also focused on spending and budgets in his proposal for change.

“I support stronger transparency measures, such as regular public reporting of county spending and contracts,’’ Hoss said. “Citizens don’t have time to manage government day-to-day, but they have every right to know how funds are spent. Quarterly financial transparency reports would be a step forward.’’

Other candidates expressed that oversight and accountability is the function of the elections, where voters can evoke change at the ballot box.

“The ultimate accountability is the ballot box, where council members can be voted either in or out,’’ said Ann Donnelly (District 1, Position 2). “Transparency should be the goal in every council process and action, except as required under limited conditions for human resources functions. The council already has the power to require transparency of the county executive and indirectly all county staff. However, a thorough review of the charter needs to take place to identify formal amendments to propose to make the practice of transparent operations even more clear.’’

“Accountability and transparency should be built into how county government operates, not left to chance,’’ said Brandon Erickson (District 2, Position 1). “The county manager’s evaluation process should include measurable goals for both the position and the departments that report to it, so progress can be tracked and results clearly communicated to the public. Citizens should be able to use the initiative and referendum tools of the charter without unnecessary barriers, giving voters a direct and transparent way to hold their government accountable. The council can improve transparency and access by holding more evening meetings and rotating at least one meeting each year into each of the other four districts. Fiscal accountability could be strengthened by requiring the county manager to seek council approval, with justification, before proposing a budget that relies on reserves. I am also open to exploring reasonable local term limits, especially if council positions are declared full-time and paid accordingly, as they can improve transparency by preventing long-term entrenchment, encouraging new perspectives, and reinforcing public trust in county leadership.’’

Others point to the fact that the charter, as it was created, provides the accountability and transparency.

“Accountability and transparency are principles of good governance and should be key goals of any effective government,’’ said Cathie Garber (District 2, Position 2). “Clark County has strengthened its oversight and accountability by adopting home rule status and implementing further charter amendments. The charter creates a separation between executive and legislative powers, which helps to prevent abuse and maintains a system of checks and balances. Through charter amendments, we have increased the number of council districts and number of elected county councilors from three to five for better representation and more accountability to the voters in the district. The County Council now consults with the executive branch when hiring a new manager, promoting transparency and collaboration. Citizens have been granted initiative and referendum powers to propose and vote on local laws. An ethics commission has also been established to build trust and prevent corruption. I do think there is more that may be done to improve oversight and accountability. One example is an amendment to the initiative and referendum process reducing the number of valid signatures needed, consider increasing the time allotted for signature gatherers, and streamline the validation process through statistical sampling for acceptance of signatures on petitions, like the state of Washington does. I am prepared to engage in open dialogue with fellow commission members to evaluate any suggested guiding principles that support strong governance.’’

Peter Silliman (District 5, Position 3) offered the following:

“I think a stronger and independent legislative branch is the key to more transparency in government operations,’’ Silliman said.

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