The Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office held the first of four informational meetings Tuesday in Winlock on the home rule charter and freeholder processes set to be on the November ballot, which would allow a group of county residents to draft a county constitution to present to voters.
Three additional information sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 27 at the Twin Cities Senior Center, March 29 at the Pe Ell School Library and April 11 at the Morton Senior Center.
In February, One Lewis County, a political action committee formed by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, secured enough signatures on a petition to begin the home rule charter process.
In November, voters will have the opportunity to vote on two measures — to elect 15 freeholders from throughout the county to draft the county’s new constitution, and to approve a measure to allow them to take office and begin their work.
One Lewis County has proposed the freeholders draft a charter moving to a five-person county commission and codifying a county manager position into the county’s charter so it can’t be eliminated during a budget-drafting process. However, the freeholders will have control over the finished charter, which will go before voters prior to being enacted.
The Board of Lewis County Commissioners is largely excluded from the process, but are required by the state constitution to draft a process for electing freeholders.
A public hearing on the draft policy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, April 2 at the Lewis County Courthouse, 351 Northwest North Street.
According to the proposed freeholder election policy, five freeholders will be elected from each commission district, for a total of 15. They will register at the same time as other candidates, beginning May 14, with a $100 filing fee, and the top five vote-getters in each district will win.
The freeholders will not be county employees and will not receive pay or benefits, but will be eligible for mileage reimbursements.
The proposed freeholder election policy is available at https://packetwriter.lewiscountywa.gov/public/2200.
