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.
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