Everett City Council needs ward elections

Appointed members of Everett’s Charter Review Committee have once again denied the will of the people by refusing to recommend to the City Council a ballot initiative that would create district voting in this November’s election.

Moving to district elections would encourage diversity of the protected classes (primarily race and gender) in our democratic process. This reflects a lack of vision and an understanding of what people from all over Everett have been asking for. As a result, this committee is now spending several thousand dollars in wasted tax revenue on legal staff fees and committee member time with no substantive recommendations to move forward.

Voting by districts would create wards or districts based on equal population of residents and existing neighborhood boundaries. One proposal is to have a mixed system: five districts and two at-large members. Keeping two at large will maintain a consistent vision. Mixed district elections would return city government to voters in our neighborhoods. Seven out of ten comparable first-class cities (Aberdeen, Bellingham, Bremerton, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Yakima) depend on mixed district voting for council members.

After one member stepped down, the majority members of the Charter Review Committee were hand-selected by the mayor. They do not represent Everett’s wealth of diversity. They represent the wealthy power base. This committee mirrors our current City Council, which does not represent the city in geography, age, race or class.

The city has made headway in gender rebalancing, but we still have a long way to go in achieving a truly diverse council or within the ranks of the city’s administration. Mixed district voting would increase voter participation, increase the variety of candidates, and remove barriers to allow for new leaders.

The implication of this decision reveals the blatant disregard appointed members have for the people they claim to represent.

When people of power see no problem with the absence of diversity, this is the very definition of privilege. The Charter Review Committee rejected the proposal because they don’t see a problem. Does anyone else in the city have a problem with this?

Attend the public hearings or submit a comment online on the city website. To follow the citizen effort to get Districts, email: Districts4Everett@gmail.com.

Jamie Curtismith lives in Everett.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.