While the national political debate is already focused on the 2012 presidential election, important decisions are before Whatcom County voters in this year's Nov. 8 general election.
Your ballot will be mailed to you Oct. 21. All Whatcom County voters will select the new Whatcom County executive, treasurer, auditor, sheriff and County Council, and Port of Bellingham commissioner. All Whatcom voters also will be asked to amend the county charter to establish a county salary commission and cast their opinion on state initiatives on liquor sales, transportation taxes, care worker training and constitutional changes to voter residency and budget savings.
Bellingham voters will be asked to weigh in on red-light and school-zone cameras.
Depending on where you live, you'll also be asked to select mayors in Bellingham and Ferndale; council members for the cities of Bellingham, Ferndale, Everson and Nooksack; Ferndale school board members; and commissioners for fire districts 1, 5, 7, 14 and 21.
Dozens of other candidates running unopposed for county, city and district offices are on the ballot as well.
The officials we elect will speak for us on issues as diverse as:
The proposed coal and bulk cargo terminal at Cherry Point and the train traffic that would be associated with it;
The location and size of a new county jail;
Red-light cameras, park parity and the plastic shopping bag ban in Bellingham; and
Who should control emergency medical service in the county and cities.
Our elected officials face ongoing philosophical issues as well:
Despite the weak economy, growth and development remains an important issue that will shape Whatcom County for generations to come. Should the county continue to pursue the transfer of nearly 9,000 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed to county control for use as parkland? Should Bellingham water bills be increased to provide more money for Lake Whatcom stormwater control and watershed land acquisition? How do the county and Bellingham work together on lake water quality and growth issues? Should landowners be compensated when their property loses value with zoning changes? What should the waterfront redevelopment look like? Are large retail stores appropriate for Ferndale and how does that impact downtown?
The role of government remains a point of contention, exacerbated by the poor economy. What is government's role in the economy and job creation and providing for those in need? Should taxes or fees increase? Can dedicated funds, such as the county road fund, be moved to the general fund for other uses? Is government efficient and are public employees fairly compensated? Should smaller fire districts be consolidated? Are government funds invested properly? What should governments' savings strategy be as the economy improves?
For many people, the vote is the most important way to express their choices on these and many other issues.
We'll be posting candidates' responses to these and other questions at bellinghamherald.com/elections, and you can follow the debate more closely with reporters John Stark and Jared Paben on their politics blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/politics/.
Candidates also are reaching out directly with YouTube videos, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs. And community members are invited to join the conversation with story comments and social media. We invite you to use the #whatcomvote hashtag for any Twitter postings about the election. We'll be showcasing those online and perhaps in print.
If you plan to write a Letter to the Editor in support of a candidate, be sure we get your 200-words-or-fewer letter by Oct. 31. Letters must be original and include the sender's name, home address and phone number. We're taking letters only by email at letters@bellinghamherald.com and from the online form at bellinghamherald.com/submitletter.
You have until Oct. 10 to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election. If you have a Washington state driver's license or ID card, you can register online at the Whatcom County Auditor's site.
Your vote is your voice in the important decisions facing our communities. We encourage you to be heard.
