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League shows county details of initiatives But commissioners still say they don't believe the current system needs change By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Members of League of Women Voters of Rogue Valley say it's impossible for three commissioners to properly represent the growing number of Jackson County residents. They say five board members could do the job. But commissioners Ric Holt, Sue Kupillas and Jack Walker disagree. They say there isn't much sense in fixing something that's not broken. "What are we doing wrong? Why would we want to change a successful government?" asked Walker. "I don't see that it's a smart thing to do." Tuesday, local league members presented commissioners with two proposed November ballot measures. They propose increasing the board's membership from three to five, and creating geographic voting districts within the county. "We're trying to change as little as possible in the charter," said Anna Hirst, president of the League of Women Voters of Ashland. "We tried to keep this very simple so people would understand." Currently, three full-time, paid commissioners are elected at-large by a countywide vote. Under the league's proposals, four part-time commissioners would be elected from the districts. The fifth full-time position would be elected countywide, at-large. "It would be more like a city council," said local league President Eileen Adee. "We would like to see a broader representation." The second proposal includes forming the voting districts. The districts would be formed by a six-member committee - appointed by commissioners and made up of two registered Democrats, two registered Republicans and two independents. The proposals do not address the issue of wages for commissioners. However, league members said they support financial compensation for county commissioners. The two proposals aren't finalized and could see minor adjustments, said local businessman and chief petitioner Bill Thorndike Jr. "It's not a criticism of the way you run the county," Thorndike told commissioners. "It's a judgment call that hopefully voters are willing to make." During the discussion, commissioners agreed that they would support the proposals if the county's population increased. Kupillas said she didn't feel Jackson County was large enough to need five commissioners, and Holt agreed. "We're little old Jackson County. We're the first on the food chain down here," Holt said. "I sort of think, why would you want to change a winning team?" Thorndike said the league will begin its signature-gathering campaigning as early as March. According to County Clerk Kathy Beckett, an initiative must have 3,415 verifiable signatures from registered county voters before the measures can be added to the November ballot. The petitions must be completed and all signatures submitted and verified by Aug. 7, she added. If approved by voters, changes wouldn't begin until 2007, allowing commissioners elected to four-year terms this fall to serve their full terms. "There's a long time in here for the transition to be made," said Ashland league member Jean Milgram, who chairs the committee to amend the county's charter. "It doesn't have to be sudden." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.