Six of the seven commissioners of the new Grays Harbor County Public Hospital District 2 were sworn in Tuesday afternoon at a ceremony in Montesano. Armando Juarez Jr., Dr. Ryan Farrer, Pete Scroggs, Miles Longenbaugh, Andrew Bickar and Robert Torgerson all participated in the ceremony after the primary election results were certified the same day. Hospital commissioner Maryann Welch did not attend the ceremony.
The seven-member commission will now begin working to transfer the assets of Aberdeen’s Grays Harbor Community Hospital from its current non-profit structure to the public district.
Each commission seat will eventually carry a six-year term, though to offset their elections, two of the these first commissioners will run again next year, two will run in 2017, and three will be up for re-election in 2019, according to Grays Harbor Auditor Vern Spatz. It was originally thought that these first commissioners would hold two-, four- and six- year terms, but Spatz said Wednesday that, on further investigation, each would be a year less since special district elections always fall on odd-numbered years. Which of the current commissioners get the longer terms is determined by overall vote numbers — the highest vote-getters garner the longest of the initial terms.
Spatz said, based on that criteria, Longenbaugh, Farrer and Juarez will serve five-year terms and be up for election in 2019, Torgerson and Welch will serve three years and face election in 2017, while Bickar and Scroggs will be back on the ballot next year.
The hospital commission will hold its first public meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, in Grays Harbor Community Hospital’s Conference Room C on the first floor.
No comments:
Post a Comment