Three people were chosen to serve on a Salary Commission at the on March 4 Bothell City Council meeting. The Salary Commission is responsible for reviewing and setting the salary of the City Council. We question the process used in their selection.

A notice on the city website informed people interested in applying for the Salary Commission to send a letter of intent. Four individuals responded. At the meeting, Mayor Freed chose to not recognize these letters of intent. Instead, prior to the meeting, Freed spoke with three other individuals who had not submitted a letter of intent and he chose these three because he said he knows and trusts them. If the procedure is to apply via a written application or letter, how can a citizen be encouraged to apply for other Boards or Commissions if the Mayor chooses to ignore the formal procedure and picks whoever he feels like?

Every year there are vacancies on Boards and Commissions and the city announces the process for applying. Hopefully, the council will make appointments in the future based on information submitted by the applicant, whether or not they are known to council members.

By the way, five years ago, the last Salary Commission gave the City Council members an 80 percent increase in their salaries. How many of you received an 80 percent raise in the last five years? Do they really need more?

Ernie and Patti Bellecy, Bothell