Editorial: Dow Constantine needs to reach out to rural residents
November 19, 2009
By Staff
In the weeks since King County voters picked Dow Constantine as the next county executive, the leader-in-waiting has taken several steps to include Eastside voices in the transition. But he has yet to reach out to Snoqualmie Valley and other more rural residents the way he has to more urban Eastside areas.Constantine wasted no time assembling a 30-member transition team during the 21-day sprint from Election Day to Nov. 24, when the next executive will take office. He will become the third county leader since May, and the challenges before him are daunting. In addition to crippling county and Metro Transit budget shortfalls, Constantine must reassure anxious taxpayers as county leaders weigh service cuts and other painful, albeit money-saving, measures.
State Sen. Fred Jarrett is a welcome addition to his transition team. And he will stick around after the transition is complete; Constantine appointed the lawmaker to the No. 2 spot in county government.
Republican-turned-Democrat Jarrett served in the state House until he was elected to the Senate last year. His experience at the state level, as well as the skills he gained as a Boeing executive and Mercer Island’s mayor, will make him a steady presence as Constantine and the County Council are forced to grapple with tough decisions.
Constantine should make the effort to seek input from Snoqualmie Valley and Eastside residents after the transition is complete. The next executive should also mend fences with rural residents hurt by the way the county handled the Critical Areas Ordinance.
We endorsed Constantine in part because of the plan he floated for a staff person assigned to work with the small cities and rural areas. That person should not be a voice lost in the wind, but an integral part of his staff.
While his transition team is quite competent, it does not show much interest in reaching out to rural residents.
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