The Clark County Council is proceeding with a push to change its Rules of Procedure, which include major changes to make individual councilors on boards and commissions vote exactly as the rest of the council demands

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The Clark County Council on Wednesday did nothing to dispel the notion that most county leaders just want to follow Vancouver’s lead, do whatever Vancouver does.

The city of Vancouver not only wants light rail, it wants light rail to extend to Library Square in the first phase of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. Based on their recent votes on resolutions and more, most of the county councilors do, too.

The city of Vancouver denounced federal law enforcement in January. A few weeks later, in a 3-2 vote, the Clark County Council did the same.

And now, the Clark County Council wants to enact similar rules that the city has for its members who sit on boards and commissions.

The county’s Rules of Procedure were back on the agenda during Council Time on Wednesday, and it appears the county wants to dictate how each of its members vote on boards and commissions.

County Councilor Michelle Belkot objected.

“The majority of this language looks pretty much like the city of Vancouver’s language as far as voting and removal,” Belkot said. “Am I correct in that?”

City Manager Kathleen Otto said she did not look at the city’s language on the subject.

“Who put this language together?” Belkot asked.

Otto said it was based on the council’s request earlier this year. The suggestions came from the county council.

“I didn’t contribute to this, so it’s not me,” Belkot said.

Enough councilors gave a thumb’s up to continue with the process to make several changes to Rules of Procedure. It will come up at a future public hearing before the council votes on the proposed changes.

Two of the changes are focused on an issue that came up in March of 2025, when Belkot was removed from the C-TRAN Board of Directors by her colleagues on the council. That action led to lawsuits and finger pointing. A judge ruled in the county council’s favor.

It must be pointed out, though, that the ability to remove Belkot from the C-TRAN board was not part of the county’s Rules of Procedure. How do we know? The council is trying to make it part of the Rules of Procedure now.

The changes that directly relate to what Belkot endured last year:

“The Council may remove any Councilor from their Councilor appointed board and/or commission with a simple majority vote.”

And,

“The Council may direct an individual Councilor, appointed to a board and/or commission, how to vote on specific policy items, with a simple majority vote.”

In 2025, Belkot said she was going to vote to protect Clark County taxpayers from having to pay operations and maintenance costs associated with Oregon’s light rail extension into Vancouver. However, the rest of the Clark County councilors wanted Belkot to vote in favor of the whole county chipping in for operations and maintenance costs. They removed her from the board.

Belkot said that was against the county’s own rules.

The other county councilors might have won in court, but in the meantime they want to make it clear that in the future, councilors must do what the rest of the council wants on boards and commissions.

When discussing these matters earlier this year, Belkot wondered why the fascination with the city of Vancouver, why Clark County councilors just want to be like Vancouver. There are distinct differences, she said.

“You are trying to adopt a city of Vancouver rule … that has never been something for us,” Belkot said.

“Why even get elected if we have to vote in collaboration?” she continued. “I represent my district. What would even be the purpose of a councilor getting elected if they just go along with another group of people? That’s not democratic.”