Let the County Council know you support electing our Sheriff.
At the last Whatcom County Council meeting, Councilmember Donovan announced his intentions to submit a resolution that favors appointing – not electing – Whatcom County’s Sheriff. He will likely present this resolution at the August 8th meeting. This unnecessary and damaging policy has been tried in King County, but now Councilmember Donovan wants to bring it to Whatcom County.
This proposal is problematic. At a basic level, it takes away the authority of you – the voter – and redistributes power in the hands of politicians. Currently, candidates for sheriff are required to go and meet the public, knock on doors, and are connected to the community in a grassroots manner. Appointing a sheriff removes this. As the chief law enforcement officer in Whatcom County, the Sheriff provides a check and balance on other elected officials, which is why protecting the independence of the office is critical. If voters do not like the way the Sheriff is behaving, they can vote them out of office.
This has historically been the process not just in Whatcom County or Washington, but throughout the country. Here’s the bottom line: We need your input. Please let the County Council know you support keeping the current process in place, electing – not letting them appoint – our Sheriff.
Please let the County Council and County Executive know your opinion and share with them that you don’t want them to take away our voice in picking the next Sheriff to enforce our laws that protect you and your family.
Email the County Council and County Executive
Please also consider attending the meeting and providing public comment – we will be sending background and talking points before the meeting for you to use if you’d like. The Whatcom County Council chambers are located at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham. Meetings typically begin at 6PM.
We will keep you updated on this process and appreciate your engagement