Local government: Keep hospital board elected

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Now that the Whidbey General Hospital board elections are tallied, let us insist that the seated commissioners keep the public’s trust by holding open meetings to discuss and decide upon Doc Z’s status and any possible limitations to his participation.

The issue is clearly of interest to the citizens and does not meet the rigid criteria for closed-door meetings.

I’d like to correct an error I made in a previous letter prior to the elections. There are five commissioners, not three as I was told. Peter Borden was appointed when Ed Sherman retired. Then, the board decided to expand its membership from three to five. Thus, Borden was again appointed to his position. He did not have to run for election.

Rumors are already surfacing that some past administrators are jockeying for appointment to the hospital board. Please, say it isn’t so. The hospital is funded by taxpayers and the makeup of the board should be decided by them, not political gamesmanship. It is so easy to stack a board via appointment to positions rather than by elections.

Caroline Byng

Coupeville