New Charter Commission in Washington State Faces Early Discord

By Greg Thames

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — In a county council chambers on Monday evening, the newly formed Whatcom County Charter Review Commission wrestled with its first organizational challenges, as procedural disputes dominated its inaugural session.

The 15-member commission, tasked with reviewing and potentially revising the county’s governing document, found itself immediately embroiled in debate over its most basic functions. The controversy erupted during officer elections, when Commissioner Joe Elenbaas raised concerns about the process.

“We need rules before we pick our leaders,” Elenbaas argued, though his objection did not sway the majority.

The commission proceeded with its leadership selection, with Liz Darrow securing the chair position with eight votes, while Jennifer Wright was elected vice-chair. The group then approved its procedural rules in a near-unanimous 14-1 vote, though questions remained about technical details such as the handling of tabled motions.

The commission’s formation comes at a time of increasing focus on local governance in Whatcom County, a rapidly growing region in Washington’s northwestern corner. During the public comment period, both officials and residents emphasized the importance of maintaining transparency and following proper procedures.

The commission voted to request official county government email addresses to interact with voters, reviving a previously denied request. Unlike county council members, executives, and other officials who receive county email addresses because they are county employees, charter commissioners have historically been denied this access. The proposal faces potential hurdles, as additional budget appropriations would be needed to establish and maintain these email accounts. Despite these obstacles, commissioners emphasized the importance of maintaining transparent communication channels with the public.

To increase accessibility, the commission plans to rotate meetings among locations throughout the county’s five districts, including libraries in Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, and Deming, as well as the Lummi Indian Business Council Chamber and the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center.

The commission established a deliberate process for charter amendments, requiring proposals to be introduced at one meeting before discussion or voting at subsequent sessions. This approach aims to give commissioners time to gather community feedback and allow county legal teams to verify compliance with state and county laws before any decisions are made. Meetings will be held twice monthly, on second and fourth Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m., for at least the next three months.

The final hour of the meeting was dedicated to legal training from the county attorney, who detailed requirements under Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act. Commissioners were informed about the necessity of public notice, restrictions on private discussions about commission business outside of official meetings, and their responsibility to retain all commission-related communications. The training emphasized that all communication about commission work, including personal emails and text messages, are subject to public disclosure and must be comprehensively recorded. This renewed discussion about the importance of using county government issued email addresses for commission business.

The commission will reconvene on January 13th to continue its work. While the duration of its tenure and the scope of its potential changes to the charter remain to be determined, the initial meeting suggested that reaching a consensus on substantive changes may prove challenging for this diverse group of commissioners.

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