Rob Anderson says Clark County residents should be paying close attention to the County Council agenda this Wednesday at 1 p.m.

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

Clark County residents should be paying close attention to the County Council agenda this Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Among the items moving forward is the early discussion of what appears to be an anti-ICE resolution. I doubt Sue Marshall — the councilor who instigated adding it to this week’s agenda — will label it that way publicly, but that is most likely the intent. It will almost certainly be carefully framed, following a growing pattern seen in the City of Vancouver and elsewhere in Washington state.

The resolution is expected to be discussed and shaped beginning with this Wednesday’s meeting, and will most likely move quickly toward finalization before a regular Council vote.

We’ve already seen the consequences of this type of political signaling. Just days after Vancouver passed its own “immigration” resolution, the city’s police chief posted a public video pleading with residents to stop interfering with special unit officers. Anti-ICE activists were reportedly mistaking them for ICE agents — following them, interfering with operations, and hindering their ability to carry out actions against violent and dangerous criminals. That is not hypothetical. That is a real-world outcome.

This development, along with several others, was highlighted in Episode 3 of ReformCast, my local video podcast that reviews county actions using public meetings, public comments, and public records (you can watch Reformcast here).

Equally concerning is a proposed change to the council’s rules and procedures that would formally grant the Council the power to remove councilors from committee assignments. This proposal does not arise in a vacuum. It follows the highly controversial removal of Councilor Michelle Belkot last year — an action now tied up in ongoing litigation.

Recently, Clark County filed in federal court that it already possessed the authority to take such action. Yet now, in January 2026, the council is moving to explicitly write those powers into its rules. Reasonable people can — and should — ask why this is necessary now, and what future dissenting voices might be targeted if such authority is formally codified.

During public comment at this same meeting, I suggested adding language requiring councilors and county officials to cooperate with law enforcement investigations. That suggestion prompted an unusually defensive response of denial by Sue Marshall. Yet public records and the Skamania County Sheriff’s report document extended delays and non-responsiveness that ultimately caused the investigation to stall. Accountability should not be optional for those in positions of public trust.

Taken together, these issues reflect a broader pattern: controversial proposals advanced quietly, procedural power consolidated internally, and minimal public engagement until decisions are effectively settled.

That is why Wednesday’s meeting matters.

Local government has the most direct impact on residents’ daily lives, yet it often receives the least scrutiny. When citizens sit back, proposals float through. When citizens show up, speak out, and pay attention, respectfully and civilly, outcomes change. These decisions deserve daylight, debate, and active public participation — before they become permanent fixtures of county policy.

The Wednesday Council Time meeting begins at 1 p.m.

Agenda: https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2026-01/01282026-ct-agenda_0.pdf

Rob Anderson
Founder, Reform Clark County
Host, ReformCast

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