EAST WENATCHEE — The Eastmont School District is having a hard time finding someone to write a statement against the district's $185 million bond proposal, after initially appointing now former Superintendent Garn Christensen to do so.
Called for by state law that took effect last year, the statement would appear in Douglas County's official voters pamphlet next to a statement in favor of the bond proposal.
The Eastmont board initially met the requirement Monday night and voted to appoint Christensen to write the “against” statement, while community member Rob Merrill would write the “for” statement.
When asked after the meeting how the move didn't have the appearance of a conflict of interest, several school officials said a search found no one else who had interest in writing the statement.
By Tuesday morning Christensen, however, had declined and current Superintendent Becky Berg said the district would ask Douglas County Auditor Thad Duvall to advertise for someone to write the statement.
But Duvall said in an interview Tuesday that the board’s actions Monday constituted a good faith effort, and that his office wouldn't look for someone for the anti statement. “They still have several more weeks to work on getting an against statement to give us for the voters' pamphlet,” Duvall said Tuesday.
Wednesday afternoon, Berg said Eastmont would not submit an "against" statement for the voters' pamphlet since no one else volunteered. In a follow up email Wednesday, Berg said after further consideration, the district would itself advertise for the against statement.
"It is important for the voters to be as fully informed as possible," Berg wrote in an email. "We have had no one show interest yet, but you never know — there could be interest this time."
Information will soon be posted on the district's website. Those interested in writing the statement can contact Brandy Fields at FieldsB@eastmont206.org.
The district must submit a name to the auditor by Aug. 2. The statement is due to the auditor's office Aug. 9.
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