Signature-gatherers dispute deadline to make Everett ballot

EVERETT — A city-imposed deadline has come and gone, but backers of a proposal to change the makeup of the Everett City Council are arguing that they should have more time to gather signatures to get their issue on the November ballot.

City Hall says they’re too late — for this year, anyway — to guarantee that signatures could be verified in time.

Wednesday was the date the city had given Everett Districts Now to come up with more than 8,000 valid voter signatures. The petitions were not filed by then. Everett Districts Now still could submit signatures in the next week or two but it’s no sure thing the signatures would be found valid in such a short time frame.

The grassroots group argued the city was in error when it set a July 5 deadline. They point to a provision in the city charter that they say gives the group until Sept. 20 to turn in the petitions.

Everett Districts Now cites Section 16.2 of the city’s charter, which states that the signatures of qualified voters must be submitted no less than 45 days in advance of a general or special election. Their goal has been to get it on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

“Ultimately, we don’t want to be held to dates that are created administratively,” Greg Lineberry, a backer of the proposal, said earlier this week. “We want to be held to what the law is.”

The city late Wednesday afternoon said it believes state law supersedes what’s in the city’s charter.

City attorney Jim Iles outlined the city’s position in a two-page memo drafted Wednesday afternoon and sent to the mayor, City Council and other city staff.

Iles argued that state election law requires that the City Council prepare an ordinance that would “be presented to the county auditor no later than the day of the primary,” which is Aug. 1. He wrote that the group’s interpretation is not reasonable because it creates a direct conflict between state law and the City Charter.

“It is settled in this area of the law in the state of Washington that state law always trumps a city charter,” Iles wrote.

If the petitions are filed in September, an election would have to occur in 2018, Iles wrote.

Everett Districts Now plans to review the city’s memo.

“We will certainly be interested to see what statute the city cites that they believe overrides city law,” Lineberry said in a Wednesday email before the city released the memo.

“There are certain sections of state law, such as setting when general election dates are, that specifically read the state law supersedes any local law,” Lineberry wrote. “If the city is aware of a law that pertains to cutoff dates that is established by the state and that specifies, just as the general election dates statute does, that state law supersedes and invalidates Everett law, we will need to see that.”

In a June 16 email to Lineberry, the city of Everett said it needed the petitions by July 5.

“The July date proposed by the city of Everett came as a surprise to Everett Districts Now,” Lineberry said in an email to fellow supporters of the petition drive. “Our group submitted the petition proposal to the city well before we started to gather signatures. No dates were suggested by the city when they responded, and no discussions have occurred since then.”

Iles wrote that the city had been open with the group, but is not in a position to act as an elections adviser.

Lineberry, who works as an Everett police captain, said his group understood that it would have been difficult for the city to comply with the law on its books. Many cities and counties across the state changed their petition and initiative process beginning in 2003, but Everett was not one of them.

Members of Everett Districts Now began the campaign in April under the presumption they had until late July to collect and turn in 8,100 signatures of registered voters to qualify.

Their goal is to get wider geographic representation on the council. Today, one City Council member lives in south Everett and the other six live within a mile and a half of Everett High School, according to the group.

The proposed initiative would amend the City Charter to require five of the seven seats be elected from five geographical districts of approximately 20,000 residents each. That, they argue, would give more representation to the central and southern parts of the city, which have more racially and economically diverse populations. The other two council seats would remain at-large positions.

The city’s Charter Review Commission chose not to put the idea on the ballot in 2016 and a council subcommittee also declined in mid-February. That prompted the campaign to try to get a measure on the ballot.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

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.