Agendas for Last 2003 Council Meeting...

     by Dixie A. Walter
    December 20, 2003

     The Eatonville Town Council's last (scheduled) meeting of the year will be Monday, December 22 at the Community Center, 305 Center St. West. The study session begins at 6 p.m. The preliminary agenda shows nothing under "Study Session Topics." Under the heading "Council Member Comments" the single subject is "A. Only Happy Comments!!!!!! 
     There are several very important business decisions and issues to be discussed and voted upon by the council. First is "Oath of office for newly elected council members Bobbi Allison, Bruce Rath and Mike Gallagher. Under Old Business is "A. Public Works Update; B.- Ordinance 2003-13 an ordinance amending section 2.32.070 of the Eatonville Municipal Code; C.-  Ordinance 2003-17 an ordinance establishing a utility tax to provide revenue for town services and capital requirements; D.-  Ordinance 2003-14 to compensate the mayor pro tem in the absence of the mayor; E. - Preliminary 2004 budget hearing - 2nd reading."
     New Business: "A. - Ordinance 2003-18 adopting the budget for the calendar year 2004; B. - Proclamation that the month of December 2003 is designated as Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month in Eatonville; C.- Resolution 2003-CCC. - A resolution approving the Carriage House 'mini-warehouse' storage facility."
     Another subject which will likely be discussed is the proposed "town administrator." Wages and benefits for this position has been figured into the budget and then taken out of the budget. Perhaps the money will be put back into the final budget before approval. The administrator position has kept some council members in a public quandary for at least a couple of months. These council members tried all kinds of twists and turns trying to find a way to keep the mayor from being involved in the hiring and firing of the administrator.. They also want the person filling the position to answer to the council and not the mayor.
     During several informal, and unofficial budget meetings, this subject was discussed over and over. And the fact remains that Eatonville's form of government does not allow for this "solution" to the problem. Many times a variation of the theme of the mayor/council form of government was pointed out. To sum it up, some of the council members, and some supporters, would perhaps entertain the idea of changing the form of government to give the council more power. 
      Below is a letter from Town Attorney Bob Mack explaining why the council cannot, under the town's present form of government, be the authority over a town administrator.

 Town Attorney Explains Mayoral Duties Concerning Hiring and Firing Staff...

2004 Preliminary Budget

                                                                                                                                              Back to Top

                                                                                                                                                          Back to Front Page

"Our government... teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."

Louis D. Brandeis

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem."

Milton Friedman

"People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing."

Walter H. Judd

     We Care!