“I don’t feel like the direction that was given by the council was actually followed by both of us,” Marshall mentioned throughout Wednesday’s assembly, including she felt obligated to carry the difficulty again to the total council for additional dialogue.
Marshall mentioned Belkot had misinterpreted what the C-Tran board was voting on.
“The vote was on whether or not to have permissive language related to (operations and maintenance). It was not to provide (operations and maintenance) funding. It was to allow C-Tran to be in a better negotiating position,” Marshall mentioned.
Marshall mentioned she believed Belkot’s vote ought to have mirrored all the council’s place, not her private place.
Belkot defended her vote and her proper to vote individually from the council’s place. Within the two years she had been on the C-Tran board, she mentioned there have been a number of situations during which she voted in a different way than different county councilors.
“We don’t have anything in our bylaws or the C-Tran bylaws that preclude us from not having our own, individual vote. … That’s never been an issue,” Belkot mentioned. “I think it’s pretty dangerous if you’re not able to represent your constituents in your districts.”
Belkot mentioned a majority of residents in her district — District 2, encompassing Hazel Dell, Felida and Orchards — have made it clear they don’t help mild rail.
“My particular district is not interested in footing the bill for an Oregon transportation system that’s having extreme financial difficulties,” she mentioned. “County residents have voted in 1995, 2012, 2013 to oppose light rail. They want the bridge without the light rail.”
County lawyer Chris Prepare dinner, from the prosecuting lawyer’s workplace, mentioned the county’s bylaws don’t embody language directing councilors to vote in keeping with the total council.
“I feel like I signed up for that protocol. I know other cities have that. A simple fix would be to include a provision in the bylaws,” Councilor Matt Little mentioned.
Little requested that the council start the method, which would come with a public listening to, to have that language added.
“When you’re representing the whole council at that meeting, it’s very similar to a vote of the council at the dais. The result of a majority vote has implications, and you go with the majority even if you voted against it,” Little mentioned.
The county council voted 4-1, with Belkot once more the lone “no” vote, to take away her from the C-Tran board. Councilor Wil Fuentes was chosen to interchange Belkot on the board, and Little will function an alternate.