While the folks at Everett Districts Now may not have collected enough signatures to get their districting measure on the fall ballot as an initiative they did manage to score a victory in getting the Everett City Council to place a districting measure before voters this fall.
It wasn’t exactly a complete victory as the Everett City Council proposal will offer Everett voters a couple of choices instead of just one.
In a unanimous vote Wednesday night the Everett City Council agreed to put a measure on the November ballot that asks voters the following two questions.
This is the draft ballot measure that contains a couple of choices for voters. Click to enlarge.
A). Do you want city council districts in Everett? and B). Should it be 5 districts plus 2 at large positons or 4 districts with 3 positions at large?
Many people affiliated with Everett Districts Now made the argument to the city council that by having a choice between 4 council districts plus 3 positions at large on the ballot in addition to their preferred choice of 5 council districts with 2 positions at large voters may be confused.
Council member Brenda Stonecipher even proposed an amendment removing the 4-3 option that was seconded by Judy Tuohy but the other five council members rejected that idea.
If voters approve, the process will move along beginning with adjusted terms for council members running in 2019. Then the first council election by districts in Everett would happen in 2021. People running for office would have to be an Everett resident for one year and if running for a specific district would have to live within that district boundary for at least six months prior to the primary.
July 11, 2018
Everett Government