Everett City Council Moves Forward On Public Process For Council Districts

In spite of appeals by citizens and the Everett Districts Now committee, the Everett City Council tonight voted 5 -2 to proceed with plans to hold public meetings and workshops with the ultimate goal of putting a proposal on the fall ballot that would lead to election of city council members by district. What that proposal will ultimately look like will be ironed out in a public process the council resolution says will consist of public participation, an expeditious and orderly process and one that will examine alternative models.

The Everett Districts Now committee made a fifteen minute proposal tonight showing the city council their plan for five council districts and two at large positions. The proposal included an explanation of implementation timelines and a schedule to review boundary lines based on a review of 2020 Census information. Council members Stonecipher and Tuohy argued against involvement by the city council in the process but were outvoted by the other five council members. Newly appointed council member Ethel McNeal called for people to stop fighting over the issue and end the division.

The City Council process will kick off with a workshop in February followed by additional workshops and public meetings into the month of May. The public process will wrap up in June with submission of an ordinance to the County Auditor this summer in time for it to be on the November ballot.

Here is the full resolution passed by the city council tonight.

Meanwhile the Everett Districts Now committee says they will move forward with their petition gathering process for a five district-two at large plan. They will need to gather 4200 signatures for their initiative to make it onto the ballot.

While right now it looks like there could be two different districting choices for voters come November there is still the possibility that the two will come together on a single plan for voters in Everett, Washington to consider.