Port of Olympia commission approves plan to expand. Now, what will voters do?
The Port of Olympia commission has voted unanimously to send a ballot proposition to voters this November, asking whether the commission should expand from three elected commissioners to five.
Commissioner Joe Downing called it a momentous occasion for the port, saying it could be one of the few ports in the state with a five-member commission.
If voters approve the increase, Downing said he believes the public will get a more consistent and clear message from the commission, having that diversity of thought.
It also should provide more election-to-election commission continuity, he said. A three-member commission can lose up to two-thirds of the commissioners in one election season, he said.
That happened in 2021 when former commissioners Bill McGregor and E.J. Zita chose not to run for re-election. Two new commissioners, Bob Iyall and Amy Evans Harding, have now joined Downing on the commission.
“Nothing against new commissioners, but it does take time to get up to speed,” Downing said.
—Rolf Boone
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 5:15 AM.
