Life can feel like a blur. Our nation faces one crisis after another: from the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the disturbing reactions that followed, to Portland leaders insisting everything is “hunky-dory” while problems clearly persist. Even the “No Kings” protests reveal misplaced outrage in a country where the government is shut down because the minority party in one branch has chosen to stall it, hardly the sign of a president acting like a monarch.
With all this noise, it’s easy to feel small in the face of national turmoil. Many people become discouraged and disengaged from local issues, yet local action is exactly where citizens have the most power.
That’s why I’m urging you: don’t give in to despair, recommit to local engagement. And one of the most important local elections this year, which many haven’t heard much about, is for the Clark County Charter Review Commission.
The Charter Review Commission is critical because it shapes how Clark County operates. Think of the County Charter as our local constitution. It determines how county government functions, what authority elected officials have and how tax dollars are managed. If Democrat-recommended candidates regain control of the commission, they’ve already signaled plans to rinse and repeat failed amendments such as a DEI office, inserting a woke preamble, and imposing Ranked-Choice Voting. These are all divisive measures that voters previously rejected.
By contrast, many independent-minded and conservative candidates want to return Charter Review to the people by focusing on practical reforms that protect taxpayers and strengthen accountability. Their priorities include: public safety; addressing the long-standing deputy funding shortage; fiscal discipline: adopting a balanced-budget requirement to stop annual deficits that now exceed $17 million; tax restraint; and requiring a supermajority for future property-tax increases, since taxes should be a last resort, not a habit.
Other proposals aim to rebalance power between the county manager and elected council, ensuring accountability, and to make it easier for citizens to file initiatives, since Clark County’s thresholds are tougher than the state’s.
Open your voter’s pamphlet and the contrast is clear. Many Democrat-backed candidates offer vague, feel-good statements that reveal little about their true intentions. In contrast, many of the Republican-supported candidates are transparent about their priorities: public safety, fiscal responsibility, and government accountability. After attending multiple Charter events, both Democrat and Republican, I believe the following candidates best represent those values and are committed to restoring common sense to Clark County government:
District 1: Ann Donnelly
District 2: Brandon Erickson, Bob Runnells, Jim Foote
District 3: Jill Ross, Janet Gullberg, John Jay
District 4: Liz Cline, Janna Meyer, Kirk Van Gelder
District 5: Brad Benton, Duncan Hoss, Peter Silliman
Clark County voters have a real opportunity to take back the Charter Review process and rebalance a system that has drifted away from accountability. Elect candidates who will prioritize you, your safety and your financial well-being, not divisive ideological experiments.
Don’t sit this one out. Vote Charter Review that makes sense.
Rob Anderson
Ridgefield
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