The resignation of the members of the community council executive board has sparked a vigorous public discussion of the future of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and local governance issues in general.

Although the discussion has been wide-ranging, I believe that our organization’s future course comes down to a simple choice between two alternatives. One choice is to keep the organization’s current status as a King County-recognized Unincorporated Area Council (UAC). The other choice is to sever our ties with the county and return to our previous independent status.

Either course will require changes in our operation. If we continue as a UAC, the community council will have to take measures to ensure it is able to comply with the Public Records Act. This is more than just letting citizens inspect and copy the organization’s documents.

The organization will need to prepare and make available indexes of all documents and an index of allowable exemptions. A central location and document storage system may be required. Governmental agencies hire trained personnel for this work. Coming into strict compliance with the act is likely to cost more than the money we currently get from the county. And if a mistake is made and the organization is sued, who will pay anypenalties?

Governments have resources, including taxing power, to cover the possibility of such expenses. VMICC has none.

If we return to our independent status, we will have to do without the county money. That could mean holding the elections at the meetings instead of by mail and finding a donated meeting space. But the community council operated successfully under these conditions for many years before it became a UAC. I am in favor of moving to an independent organization. For one thing, I know from experience that it works.

Bill Tobin