I-26: Make King County offices nonpartisan

Initiative 26, the first item on King County's primary ballot, seems like a head-scratcher because of confusing wording and inclusion of an alternative. But voters should offer a resounding yes to I-26 to make most county elected offices nonpartisan.

If voters say yes, the charter change would appear on the November ballot. The proposal asks a very important question: Would the business of county government be more productive if council members and the executive move beyond partisan bickering to really solve regional problems?

The answer has to be yes. It is time to move past the partisan politics of the past toward new approaches to regionwide challenges of growth, density, transportation and public safety.

For too long, the executive and council have been mired in the old paradigm of the clash between the needs of urban Democrats and the needs of rural and suburban Republicans. Sewers, land use, waste disposal — these do not really lend themselves to simplistic partisan wrangling.

The more practical approach lies in the nexus between cities and suburbs. Changing council and executive posts to nonpartisan would bring new voices and new people. Getting rid of party identification would ease the practice of council members voting a certain way because of peer pressure within a political caucus.

County Council elections are notorious for being non-events. Few challengers show up, and when they do, they rarely win, current Councilmember Bob Ferguson being a notable exception.

Executive Ron Sims envisions a fourth term. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it is a long time to serve with only one or two candidates contemplating a challenge for 2009. No politician should have that much comfort.

I-26 would give voice to the great middle in county politics. Over time, Republicans would not be cast as outsiders and would have a chance to win in a highly Democratic county.

Imagine a regional transportation approach reaching beyond partisan constructs. Imagine more-productive county budgeting.

The best argument against the initiative is that the "R" or "D" after a candidate's name on the ballot provides helpful information to voters.

A valid point, but one overwhelmed by the need to remove partisanship from the equation. Vote yes on I-26 and help move King County toward a nationwide trend of more regional thinking and less partisan bickering.