Don’t like it that your city has raised your taxes? Or not spent your tax money where you think it should be spent?
Maybe your street hasn’t been repaved in six years. Or you’re tired of having apartments built on your formerly quiet street of single-family homes. Or maybe you don’t like the curriculum your local school board has established for your children.
If any of these things is on your mind, or if you would just like to serve your community, you could make a good candidate for public office.
The official filing period for public office this year is July 28 through Aug. 1. You simply go to the election department in your county during business hours that week, fill out a declaration and affidavit of candidacy form, and pay the filing fee which is equal to 1 percent of the annual salary for the position. (For location information, see below). Subsequently, you submit financial information to the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Lately, unhappiness with government has prompted the biggest tax revolt, and in turn some of the biggest spending cuts, in the history of the state. But this hasn’t stopped people from complaining about government. All year long, in most local jurisdictions in south Snohomish and north King counties, people troop to the podium at council or board meetings and dress down their elected representatives about one thing or another. Yet, with the exception to date of the Shoreline and Edmonds city councils and the Port of Edmonds, very few new candidates have come forward so far this year.
A lot of clichés apply to running for office: put up or shut up, put your money where your mouth is. Perhaps the best is, if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.
The King County Records and Elections Department may be reached at 206-296-1565. It is located in room 553 of the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Avenue, Seattle. The Snohomish County Auditor is located on the first floor of the administration building at 3000 Rockefeller, Everett. The phone number is 425-388-3444.
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