No candidates for district commission, again
In the Vel-View Water District, no one runs against an incumbent commission candidate. In fact, commission members hardly ever run.
When a seat on the three-member board comes up for election on regular intervals, neither the incumbent nor challengers file for the seat, says the district’s general manager Dennis Overbay, who is also a board member.
Because of that, every couple of years, the seats on the small water district on Five Mile Prairie show up on the Spokane County Elections Office list of elective positions with no takers – technically known as voids in candidacy – the week after would-be officeholders file for local councils and boards.
This year, filing has been extended through 5 p.m. Thursday for various voids in candidacy. There’s one seat each on the town councils of Latah and Waverly, a commission spot in Fire District 11 and another in Fire District 12. Four Lakes, Chattaroy Springs and Strathview water districts each have a position for which no one filed, and the Moran, Spangle and Waverly cemetery districts all have unclaimed openings.
Vel-View has three seats on the void list. Just as it did in 2003. And 2001. And 1999. County elections records on file with The Spokesman-Review show the district hasn’t had anyone file for a commission seat since 1985. And he ran unopposed.
If 2005 is like previous years, most districts will get at least one candidate during the extended filing period. If two candidates file, they’ll face each other on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. If three or more file, all will go on the Sept. 20 primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing.
If no one files, the incumbents can stay in their positions for another term.
Vel-View Water District probably won’t have any candidates file, and things will continue just fine, says Overbay, who was surprised all three board seats were up for election.
One of those seats is his, and he won’t file for it, although he expects he’ll keep it.
“People don’t want the responsibility of it,” Overbay said. “I don’t think anybody wants my job. When everything runs well, it’s really nice, but when it doesn’t, it’s a nightmare.”
The system is just coming out of one of those nightmares. Its well went down in February, and all the problems weren’t fixed until June 11. In the meantime, the 23-home system got its water from the recent inter-tie with the city of Spokane water system.
The legal requirements on a small district like Vel-View are the same as a much larger district. That includes electing a board from among the 55 registered voters living in the homes served by the system.
Officially, commission terms are for six years. In reality, board members serve as long as they can, and when someone resigns, another person from the neighborhood is appointed, Overbay said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody run in opposition.”
While this may not be the purest form of representative democracy, there is a financial advantage to filling the board this way. Under state law, if a district has no candidates on the ballot, it doesn’t have to pay the costs of an election.