Area resident Anna Miller addresses the latest absurdities surrounding the Clark County Council

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

A resolution on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, issued by the Clark County Council? Are we being punked? 

One wonders how many more creative ways the Council can invent to spend time, staff resources, and taxpayer dollars on matters that fall entirely outside its authority, while simultaneously stoking public frustration and division. 

Except for adopting the Sheriff’s budget, the County Council has no jurisdiction whatsoever over law enforcement operations. The Sheriff is an independently elected official, solely responsible for daytoday law enforcement decisions. This is not a gray area, nor is it controversial — it is basic county governance. 

For anyone who may have lost the plot, here is the actual business of the people that should occupy the Council’s time: 

• Land use and development policy, including the Comprehensive Plan 

• Allocation of tax revenue and adoption of budgets for county offices 

• Zoning and development codes 

• Countywide land use policy changes (not individual projects or negotiations with developers) 

• Creation and funding of the County Road Fund 

• Adoption of longrange transportation plans 

• Participation in assigned committees, advisory boards, and intergovernmental bodies 

Notably absent from this list: symbolic resolutions about federal law enforcement agencies over which the Council has exactly zero authority. 

It is refreshing, at least, when members of the Council like Councilor Belkot and in this matter Councilor Little, demonstrate a clear understanding of their role and the limits of their power. That level of clarity should not be exceptional — it should be the minimum requirement. 

Perhaps it’s time for the Council, collectively, to stay in its lane and return to the unglamorous but essential work it was elected to do. 

PS: Note to Chair Marshall: If a resolution’s legacy is that it was wiped with and thrown on the floor, as reported, one might reasonably question why it was introduced at all. 

Anna Miller 
Clark County resident and taxpayer

---

Also read:

• 
  With more state financial stress on horizon, Ferguson signs WA budget
  Washington’s latest $79.4 billion state budget taps rainy day funds, reduces child care provider payments, and defers big tax collections, setting up a deficit in 2028.
• 
  Gov. Ferguson signs controversial law tightening standards for WA sheriffs
  Sheriffs must now meet strict standards or risk removal, with local officials appointing replacements instead of voter recall, amid ongoing debate over constitutionality.
• 
  Opinion: Stalin would be proud – Clark County Socialists gathered for ‘No Kings’
  Reform Clark County’s Rob Anderson criticizes local and national groups for organizing protests that featured Auditor Greg Kimsey as a keynote, raising concerns about public trust and political partisanship.
• 
  Opinion: The beginning of the end of anchor babies
  Lars Larson argues the Constitution excludes children born to non-legal residents, as the Supreme Court debates birthright citizenship and public opinion data shows limited support.
• 
  VIDEO: Rejected – WA SOS will not process referendum to repeal income tax law
  State officials stopped Let’s Go Washington’s referendum to overturn the new tax, citing constitutional limits. Legal and political battles, including a Supreme Court challenge, are expected next.