Angus Lee Says Clark County Council lacks legal authority to remove Michelle Belkot

CLICK HERE to read the ClarkCountyToday.com opinion by Angus Lee regarding the Belkot removal issue.

COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING THIS TUESDAY 3/18 AT 6PM

SHOW UP AND SPEAK UP DURING OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT

SUPPORT COUNCILOR BELKOT TO STOP LIGHT RAIL FUNDING NOW

Participate in the following ways:

• In person, 6th floor of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street, Vancouver, WA 98666
• Watch live on CVTV (Comcast channel 23)
• Livestream from your personal computer: www.cvtv.org
• Join by computer: WebEx Link
• Join by phone:
• Dial: 1-408-418-9388
• Access Code: 2482 700 6513
• Password: BOCC (2622 from phones)
• press *3 on phone to raise hand, *6 to unmute
• Submit comments:
• Written via email: www.clark.wa.gov/councilors/public-comment 
• Written via US Postal Service to the Clark County Council, c/o Rebecca Messinger, PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000
• During the meeting from your computer or phone: follow these instructions 

Talking Points:

• Clark County doesn't want to be Portland or be a part of Portland's problems
• Don't act upon the law, the County Charter, just because it's in your interest to force Light Rail on Clark County.
• This is was not legal and not one of the Councilors asked or cared about if it was.
• Councilors have never been compelled to vote on boards including C-Tran Board nor was there clear direction to do so.
• Legal, Chris Cook, didn't provide a legal opinion on their action. So, what this means is that the County took action WITHOUT having the legal basis confirmed or not. That's not how things should run by the County Council and PA's office that provides legal support.
• The C-Tran "vote" from 2/26 wasn't proper for it wasn't added to the agenda properly, no public comment given as a result and it's more like a straw vote than a binding vote during Council Time meetings.
• TriMet has a track record for wasteful spending and is a terrible "partner" for Clark County.
• Clark County doesn't want Light Rail, it killed the last bridge effort, and it will kill this one too if ones like Mayor Anne and Sue Marshall and others continues.
• Thank Councilor Belkot for representing the people while the other Councilors are representing Portland and Trimet rather than their cities and constituents.
• The majority of voters and cities don't want Light Rail and all the costs that follows with it.
• Read the ClarkCountyToday.com articles HERE & HERE to prepare

ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL & CIVIL - No name calling or belittling, just stick to strong arguments.

ICYMI: Belkot Represents The People - NO MONEY TO PORTLAND FOR TRIMET - But County Council Removes Her To Save Light Rail Funding

This week, Clark County was on the verge of stepping back from a disastrous decision that would send millions of our tax dollars to Portland via TriMet and Light Rail—something the majority of Clark County voters have repeatedly opposed.

Councilor Michelle Belkot, who sat on the C-Tran Board of Directors, took a bold stand to stop this from happening. But just as she was making progress, Councilor Sue Marshall of the 5th District, working closely with Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, stepped in to table the decision. This strategic delay gave Marshall time to rally her Democrat allies behind the scenes to protect Light Rail and guarantee Clark County remains a financial pipeline for Portland.

READ CLARKCOUNTYTODAY.COM ARTICLE HERE

And move they did. The very next day, in what can only be described as a coordinated effort, Matt Little, Glen Yung, and Wil Fuentes voted to remove Belkot from her position. Their justification? A distorted narrative that claimed Belkot was somehow obligated to follow their political agenda rather than represent the voters who elected her—voters who have made it clear they oppose Light Rail and certainly don’t want $20 million a year funneled to Portland. Yet this flimsy excuse was immediately contradicted when Matt Little moved to change the by-laws to restrict councilors’ voting rights in the future—a clear admission that Belkot was justified in standing with her constituents rather than bowing to Portland’s interests.

For context, the proposed “Bridge Shelter”—better described as the Van Mall Homeless Shelter—has an estimated operating budget of $16 million per year. Yet, if the C-Tran Board gets its way, Clark County taxpayers will be forced to fork over even more than that for a mere mile and a half of Light Rail track.

Sue Marshall and her allies have not only betrayed their constituents but also the cities in their districts that have voted against funding TriMet. Worse yet, they have done so in a way that is undemocratic and repugnant to the voters they are supposed to represent.

And if history is any indication, this won’t be the last time Marshall works against the will of the people—unless voters put a stop to it.

Support Reform Clark County Efforts Here

Click Here To Support

Your support helps with legal and other expenses needed to reform Clark County

Click HERE To Follow On X (Twitter)

Click HERE To Follow On Facebook

Or HERE To Follow On Instagram

www.reformclarkcounty.com

Reform Clark County only encourages lawful and respectful action that leads to meaningful constitutional reforms in Clark County