Spokane County commissioners should place on the fall ballot a proposal to move from three commissioners to five and let voters decide whether it’s worth the expense of expansion.

It’s an idea that merits consideration, if crafted in a way that minimizes additional costs and fairly splits the current commissioners’ districts so that each includes a mix of rural and urban areas.

Commissioner Shelly O’Quinn has advocated placing the board-expansion proposal on the general-election ballot this fall. A public hearing on the subject is set for July 7, and the board must make a decision on the measure before an Aug. 4 deadline.

Before we discuss the reasons a move to five commissioners might make sense, here’s some perspective. Under Washington state law, a county can switch from three to five commissioners without changing its charter. Most counties that have expanded the board size from the default of three commissioners have done so with a change in charter. Spokane County is the largest in the state, in terms of population, that still operates under a three-commissioner system. 

O’Quinn says scandal or controversy has compelled action in most counties that have made the change, and no such serious issues are at the root of expansion talks here. Specifically, she says, the proposed changes don’t stem from recent disagreements involving the county’s CEO vacancy, for which Commissioner Todd Mielke was the top candidate but Commissioner Al French had reservations. 

The argument for adding two commissioners are more practical than political. In Washington state, a majority of a government body isn’t supposed to meet without providing public notice. With a three-commission board, that means commissioners can’t meet one on one and work out differences without violating public meeting laws. 

The public meeting laws are in place for good reason—to ensure elected officials conduct business in the open. Expanding the board wouldn’t compromise that and could improve the flow of information between commissioners. 

A five-person board also would disperse power somewhat. Thinking about the county CEO dispute, one has to believe that controversy could have had a different feel—if not a different outcome—had there been two more voices in the conversation. 

The most obvious concern about expansion is the cost associated with implementing it. It would involve adding two more executive-level salaries to the county budget, expanding the commissioners’ physical office space, and potentially adding support staff. O’Quinn thinks the board can be expanded into readily available space in the county courthouse that won’t need much remodeling. Also, she says the existing staffs’ duties could be shuffled so that people don’t need to be added. In all, she estimates board expansion would cost $250,000 a year.

That’s not a significant amount in a county with a $500 million budget, especially if it leads to more effective leadership that better serves Spokane County citizens. The idea merits vetting and a public vote.