By Krist Novoselic - Grange Master
Recent letters to the editor in the Wahkiakum Eagle consider the prospect of dissolving Wahkiakum County. This is a terrible idea for many reasons and the speculation needs to cease. The Citizens of Wahkiakum County would only get lost in the shuffle of Cowlitz or Pacific County - public entities with their own problems and issues.
Cowlitz County has a population of over 57,000. There are 21,000 people in Pacific County. If the 4000 residents of Wahkiakum can’t make the needs of our county a priority why would the elected leadership of our neighboring counties do the same?
In Cowlitz, the commissioner per constituent ratio is roughly 1 / 20,000. Pacific is better with 1 / 7,000. Folding Wahkiakum into whatever mix would barely dent these figures.
There are very many considerations regarding dissolution. Let’s keep our heads in our own backyard instead because the Wahkiakum County 2009 budget has not even been passed.
There will be budget cuts and things will need to be prioritized. Let’s make maintaining our dear county a priority in itself. Dissolution will only mean that our priorities will no longer be our own. We’ll only be lumped into bigger constituencies with their own problems.
Comments