The Washington County Commissioners may get more than they bargained for. Win or lose this battle, voters will remember who denied them the chance to decide if county money should be spent on HCT. In Clackamas County where commissioners secretly borrowed money to give to Metro days before a vote that may have stopped them, several of the commissioners were shown the door at the next election.
If an elected body fears their constituents might vote against something they are planning to do, then who are they representing - the citizens, themselves, or outside parties who will benefit from their vote? If there is no conflict, then why the angst over having the people make the choice about what they want for their future?
The Oregonian/Oregonlive, February 16, 2015 By Dana Tims
Washington County payment for light-rail planning draws ire of Tigard petitioner
Washington County may be hurrying up planning efforts that include possible light rail options to head off a petition that could require voter approval for such projects. That's according to Tigard resident, whose proposed initiative currently is tied up in Washington County Circuit Court. (The Oregonian)
Washington County is hurrying ahead with a commitment to spend money on light rail planning, possibly to blunt the impact of an initiative petition that could limit such spending.
That charge is being leveled by Tigard resident Tim Esau, the chief petitioner for a measure that would require a countywide vote before any significant amounts of money could be spent planning, designing or building high-capacity rail or bus facilities in the county.
Esau made his comments after learning that the Washington County Board of Commissioners is scheduled Feb. 17 to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Metro committing the county to spend $900,000 over the next two years on planning that includes possible light rail or high-capacity bus options.
The item appears on the consent agenda for the board's regularly scheduled Feb. 17 meeting. Items on the consent agenda are considered routine and are adopted in one motion unless a commissioner asks beforehand to have a particular item considered separately.
Assuming the initiative faces no further legal obstacles, Esau could then start collecting the 15,270 valid signatures he needs to put the matter before voters. Ideally, he said, he'd like to make the November 2015 general election ballot.
"We saw it happening in Clackamas County so maybe that's the script they're operating from," he said, referring to commissioners in that county citing pre-existing contracts with Metro as binding and not subject to the subsequent successful petition approval. "I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me if they are trying to outrace a ballot measure.
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