Most local citizens - residents, voters, people, whatever - I am willing to bet have never heard of conservation districts - or have in the same way as flood control districts or cemetary districts.  We sort of know they are somwhere but are of no concern to us.  And yet our taxes pay the salaries and expenses of conservation districts and pay for their programs.  They have elected supervisors and we have a right to vote for them.  Yes, we are taxed without actual representation. 

Barbara Perry, a citizen of Bellingham's Happy Valley neighborhood, got curious and as she learned more she became more concerned.  The conservation district folks were not exactly forthcoming with information or help.  She tried to participate in and follow the election process in March - and came to the conclusion that there is institutional fraud associated with conservation districts in Washington State.  

I agree.  And much more investigating needs to be done.  Every county in Washington has at least one conservation district.  The League of Women Voters did a report in 2011 explaining the concerns about the elections.  How can you call an election anything but a secretive process when, for example, of 261,250 registered voters, only 12 voted for the conservation district election.  12 - hell, that is almost just district staff and spouses.  Read the report.

Today, NWCitizen and the new local website Noisy Waters are posting Barbara's article in slightly different formats.  Deb Gaber did her usual great job of editing the article to about half its original length for NWCitizen.  Dena Jensen choose to post the original article on her Noisy Waters site and include more of the details. While Noisy Waters started only this June 2015, it is a site very worth checking - and I am adding a link to it in the right side column under 'Local Blogs& News'.

Me thinks we need reform.  Reform of the election processes for all the conservation districts in Washington State.