Everett City Council Districts Showdown About To Begin

The Everett City Council is already behind on their resolution of studying and then recommending a ballot measure for council election by districts on the fall ballot. A resolution passed by the council on January 31st called for a council kickoff and other meetings to start in February. That didn’t happen. On Wednesday Everett City Council President Paul Roberts told MyEverettNews.com they have a briefing on the March 7th council agenda and the delay is due to legal and planning consultations. He promises an open process.

Meanwhile the folks at Everett Districts Now are relaunching their petition drive on Sunday March 4th at the Snohomish PUD Auditorium. Here’s a press release received Thursday morning regarding their efforts.

Today, Everett Districts Now formally announced their official campaign kickoff, which will take place on March 4th at the Everett PUD Building (2320 California Street) in the Commission Meeting Room. The event will start at 2:30 pm. Supporters will hear from area leaders include City Councilmember Brenda Stonecipher and former House Representative Luis Moscoso will share the history of his efforts to establish improved voting rights for districts in Washington!

EDN has updated the 2018 petition and need to collect new and additional signatures. The efforts will require a total of 4,000 signatures to qualify for the 2018 November election (20% of the 2017 voter turn out is 3,400 and 600 extra to cover potential errors). In 2017, volunteers collected 3,200 but failed to reach the higher limit of 10,000 signatures as the effort followed the presidential election with a higher turn out. This effort follows a multi year campaign of outreach and public engagement across the city to bring this issue to the public and educational forums in north and south Everett.

Everett Districts Now has made updates to the 2018 petition. Based on feedback from council members, the timeline has been adjusted so that all positions are up for election in a staggered sequence. In 2019, two positions will be at large for 4 years and two positions will be at large for 2 years. In 2021, five positions will run for districts seats and represent their districts for 4-year terms. In 2023, two positions will run at large for 4 years. The cycle will then repeat, alternating elections of 4-year terms for at-large and five district positions.

In 2020, a commission, similar to the format used in Seattle, will be formed including a ‘District Master’ to draw the map based on 2010 federal census and other data to create 5 district boundaries and conduct public hearings. In 2021, a second committee will form to adjust districts based on the completed 2020 census data with a deadline of 2022. The adjusted map will be used for the 2025 election. The current map will be used for administrative purposes and the 2020 update will allow for updates based on population change since 2010.

Everett Districts Now, lead by Megan Dunn, is a grassroots coalition of Everett residents that are ready for a more representative process for electing city council members.

“After the Everett City Council failed to act on this important issue, leaders from neighborhoods across the city came together to write an initiative to create a fair and equitable voting system. By creating five geographic districts and two at large positions, more candidates will be able to run for office and residents in all parts of the city will be represented on the council. It’s time to let the voters decide,” says Dunn, who first brought the issue to city council in September 2015.

Both the Snohomish NAACP and The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County support creating geographic voting districts. League spokeswoman, Lois Wentink explains, “In the city of Everett, where all seven city council members are elected at large, a majority of the council members reside in the northwest part of town. If five of those positions were spread out through five geographic districts, everyone living in Everett would have at least one representative living nearby, at least one person who truly understands the issues of the district.”

While Snohomish County NAACP President Janice Greene states, “It is the obligation of our governing bodies to assure that every voice has an equal opportunity to be heard and that every vote cast carries equal weight. We believe that district representation will greatly improve access to and encourage greater participation in the political process. We all need the voices long silenced by the barriers inherent in at-large representation to engage in and enrich the political discourse required to better serve the needs of this rapidly changing community.”

“Where you live impacts your experiences and every resident has a right to be heard and involved in our government,” Dunn says. “Everett is a city of neighborhoods, we each have different experiences, challenges and characteristics to celebrate about where we live-Lowell has wonderful characters and historic buildings, View Ridge has amazing water views, Casino Road leaders are coming together as a community to address challenges, and North Everett residents are dealing with concerns about homelessness.”

Everett Districts Now invites supporters to join the movement. All are welcome to attend the public kickoff on March 4th and sign the petition to put this on the ballot. The event will include a discussion about the need for districts, training on how to register people to vote, and who is eligible to sign the petition.