The five districts as proposed in late 2015. There would also be 2 at-large positions.
One of the first to bring up the city council district plan is Megan Dunn. She first approached city leaders in September of 2015 with a districting plan. Now that the city council has rejected putting the plan on the ballot she tells MyEverettNews.com via email how she and other citizens are moving forward on their own…
A grassroots committee of local leaders from all regions of Everett-north, south east and west, as well as leaders from League of Women Voters (LWV) and NAACP have been moving forward with a solution to improve representation and create a voting system based on equity.
While council continues to ignore the overwhelming public support for districts, we are moving forward with a petition for voters to amend the city charter to create 5 districts and 2 at large council positions. The language has been submitted to the city legal department for formal review and we hope the legal team will not unnecessarily delay this process in order to begin the effort of gathering signatures for districts to appear on the ballot in November 2017. By petitioning to have districts on the ballot, residents will finally have the chance to improve representation and create a voting system based on equity and justice.
Thank you,
Megan Dunn, Everett Districts Now
Dunn isn’t alone in trying to have the city council move from an all at-large system to a combination of at-large and council districts. The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County is also advocating such a change. Recently members of the league have addressed the city council during public comment periods and the league has set up a Pro-districting forum on Monday, March 20 at 6:30 pm in the main floor meeting room of the Bob Drewel Bldg. on the county campus in Everett. Confirmed panel members are: Reid Shockey, Louis Harris, Luis Moscoso, Mary Rollins, and Dave Ramstad, historian.
The League outlined their reasons in a letter to the Mayor and Council back in November of last year. Here is that letter…
Dear Members of the Everett City Council and Mayor Stephanson,
On November 7, 2016, members of the Districting Committee of the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County met with Councilmember Paul Roberts and Executive Director of Governmental Affairs Bob Bolerjack to discuss our organization’s position in favor of changing the method of selecting city council members from at-large to districts or a combination of districts and at-large election. Our position is based on a basic tenet of a democracy which favors equal representation for all.
We left the meeting feeling that we had been listened to and that you heard what we had to say. Now that we have all had an opportunity to mull over what the others had to say, we are ready to respond to some of the concerns brought up by Councilmember Roberts.
1. The wisdom of the elected representatives needs to be informed by the voices of the people who are going to be impacted by their decisions. Therefore when issues arise that promote the views of one area of the city over the welfare of the entire city, there is an opportunity for thoughtful and meaningful conversation. We see this as a healthy situation. All parties will bring a wider range of perspectives to the discussion—some of which may lead to a stronger, more creative solution. Had the Council and the Streets Initiative been more open to the concerns of the people living in the Pinehurst-Beverly Park neighborhoods before announcing the site of the proposed low barrier housing complex, a better alternative for all may have emerged.
2. Reservations about candidates coming forward for City Council who do not have adequate qualifications was another concern that Mr. Roberts and Mr. Bolerjack expressed. The only qualifications for election to the City Council are that you be a registered voter in Everett at the time that you file for office and that you have lived within the city for at least one year at the time of the election. That pretty much leaves the decision about the qualifications of a particular candidate up to the voters. The League will continue its efforts through candidate forums and on-line resources such as VOTE 411 to aid citizens in making informed decisions, but we never support or oppose any candidate.
3. Another concern was that someone could be elected to the Council who had no understanding of the political process due to failure to participate in city-sponsored committee work such as service on a city board or commission. Our city is experiencing an increase in ethnic and cultural diversity. Wouldn’t these groups be inclined to self-educate if they realized the importance and responsibility of participating in the needs of their own district? Skills in “political process” can also be learned on the job, serving on a not-for-profit board, or starting and running your own business. These kinds of skills can and do transfer to a political setting.
In closing, may I remind you that The Daily Herald, our two state representatives Mike Sells and June Robinson, state senator John McCoy and County Councilmember Brian Sullivan have all spoken out in favor of districting as a more equitable way of truly representing Everett residents. The NAACP, the Community of Color Coalitions and a citizens’ group whose spokesperson is Megan Dunn are also on board as is the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County. Let’s be prepared for our city’s increase in population by adopting a more representative way of selecting our city council members. In the meantime, please allow more time for this discussion to continue.
Yours truly,
Lois Wentink, Spokesperson, LWVSC Committee on Districting
M.J. Donovan Creamer, Brenda Bolanos-Ivory, Barbara Eklund
(It should be noted that last week The Herald issued an editorial reversing their original favorable view of council districts and is now arguing against the idea.)
You can click the link below to see the District Plan as it was presented to the city in 2016.
Proposal-District Elections in Everett-final (2)
February 18, 2017
Everett Government