EVERETT — How Everett city council members are elected is changing and nine Everett residents will get a chance to shape that process.
Applications opened last week for a districting commission, which will be charged with drawing districts for City Council elections.
Rather than all seven seats being elected citywide, Everett will be divided into five districts and a majority of council members will be chosen directly from those areas. Two seats will remain at-large. The first district elections will occur in 2021. Voters approved the change last November.
Each councilmember and the mayor will appoint a commissioner from the pool of submitted applications. Those eight appointees will then choose a ninth member.
“I’m looking for people who I know are vested in Everett,” said Councilmember Judy Tuohy. “Somebody who would be looking out for all areas of Everett, and not just their corner.”
Tuohy also wants the commission to be diverse.
“(The council is) throwing around ideas to ensure we have geographical representation as well as age, ethnicity as much as we can,” she said.
For Mayor Cassie Franklin, appointing a commissioner who is committed to listening to public input ranks high on her list.
“This is a significant change in how our city is governed, and community members should stay involved and engaged whether they are on the commission or not,” Franklin said in an email.
The commission is required to hire a district master. That person must be trained and experienced in drawing district boundaries.
Under state law, districts must be as equal in population as possible and be geographically contiguous. Once a draft district plan and map is complete, it will be presented at public forums.
The final plan must be approved by the commission by November 2020. Then the City Council the will adopt the plan without modification, according to city code.
To qualify, applicants must live in Everett and cannot be a city employee, a candidate for elected office or a current elected official — excluding precinct officers.
To apply, visit everettwa.gov/1856/Districting. Applications will be open through April 30. District commission meetings are expected to start meeting this fall and continue through the fall of 2020.
Lizz Giordano: 425-374-4165; egiordano@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @lizzgior.
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