Vote Yes to Elect our Mayor

You deserve the right to elect the leader of your city.

At all levels of government, from President, to Governor and King County Executive, we have the opportunity to elect the executives of our government. We cherish this right to elect citizens to represent us in these important positions. But that doesn’t happen here in the City of Federal Way. In a city this size it just isn’t right that our mayor is decided out of the public view by essentially a simple majority of the city council--4 people! Our current system lacks the kind of transparency and direct accountability that any city of this size desperately needs.

It is time for our city government to be truly open, accountable and transparent. We deserve the kind of leadership that brings back checks and balances. The Strong Mayor form of government has worked for over 200 years. And by the way, it works in the neighboring cities of Auburn, Kent, and Renton. Please vote yes to bring accountability and leadership to Federal Way--so that this will be a city that is truly Of, By, and For the People. We deserve nothing less.

Vote NO to this Change in City Government

Washington State law (RCW 35A.12.100) states the Strong Mayor will be the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer for the City yet,

NO QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING or EXPERIENCE are REQUIRED.

Vote NO to Increased Costs

The City of Federal Way’s operating budget is $41million, with 338 employees in 8 departments. This doesn’t include an estimated cost increase of approximately $250,000 for a full time mayor and staff, plus fringe benefits and operating expenses. The increase in budget could be much more since most elected Mayors of comparable cities hire a City Administrator, who also requires staff plus fringe benefits and operating expenses.

Vote NO to Special Interests

Our present city government has a seven member elected City Council who set policy through consensus and majority rule. They choose one from among themselves to serve as chairperson, while representing the city regionally and ceremonially. A separately elected Mayor would be much more susceptible to the influence of special interests who contributed to their mayoral campaign.

Vote NO – Let’s Retain Accountability

Removing an ineffective elected mayor would require a costly and drawn out recall. Hired City Managers can be removed immediately by majority council vote.

QUALIFICATIONS:  You elect your President, Governor, and legislators. The City Manager is hired at the discretion of the Council—and not accountable to you. You deserve the right to elect the leader of your City.  

COSTS:  The costs stated are fictional--to scare you. We paid for a City Manager and TWO Assistant City Managers last year.  

Vote YES to LOWER COSTS, and INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY!

Vote YES to elect your Mayor.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Roy Parke, Clara McCarthur, Diana Howell

Seven independently elected council members work collaboratively to set policy direction for the city. Is it representative democracy if a strong mayor vetoes the work of the seven? If council overrides the veto, a strong mayor in charge of day-to-day city operations can impede the proper implementation of a policy or ordinance. Creating an all powerful strong mayor thwarts the principle of, by and for the people. Please vote NO to this change.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Jerry Vaughn, Mary Ehlis, Bob Kellog

RESOLUTION NO. 09-554

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON, PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY, AT A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD THEREIN ON NOVEMBER 3, 2009, OF A PROPOSITION ON WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD ADOPT THE MAYOR/COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND ABANDON THE CITY MANAGER/COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

WHEREAS, Chapter 35.A.06 RCW authorizes a non-chartered, code city to abandon its plan of government and reorganize under another plan of government, and to pass a resolution requesting that a proposition be submitted to the qualified voters within the City of whether the City should abandon its form of government and reorganize under another plan of government; and

WHEREAS, King County determined that there were a sufficient number of signatures to submit to the qualified voters in the City the proposition of whether the City should adopt the Mayor/Council form of government and abandon the City Manager/Council form of government; and

WHEREAS, RCW 35A.060.050 requires the City Council, upon receipt of proper notice from the County, to place the matter on the ballot for the next municipal general election; and

WHEREAS, the City Council held a special meeting on Saturday, August 8, 2009, in order to comply with State Law and submit this resolution timely for the general municipal election pursuant to King County’s timeline.  

NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FEDERAL WAY, RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. The proposition to be submitted at the special election shall be in the form of a ballot title as follows:

PROPOSITION

ADOPTION OF THE MAYOR/COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT

WITHIN THE CITY OF FEDERAL WAY

Shall the City of Federal Way abandon the Council/Manager form of government and adopt the Mayor/Council form of government?  The adoption of the Mayor/Council form of government would not affect the City’s eligibility to be governed under Title 35A of the Revised Code of Washington.

FOR ADOPTION OF THE MAYOR/COUNCIL FORM OF

GOVERNMENT .................................................______

AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF THE MAYOR/COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT…………………………….……….______

Section 2.  The City Clerk is authorized and directed to file a certified copy of this resolution with the King County Auditor.

Section 3.  Severability.  If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution should be held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other section, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution.

Section 4.  Corrections. The City Clerk and the codifiers of this ordinance are authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance including, but no limited to, the correction of scrivener/clerical errors, references, ordinance numbering, section/subsection numbers and any references thereto.

Section 5.  Ratification.  Any act consistent with the authority and prior to the effective date of this resolution is hereby ratified and affirmed.

Section 6.  Effective Date.  This resolution shall be effective immediately upon passage by the Federal Way City Council.

RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON this 8th day of August, 2009.