Vote YES to Elected Mayor!

• The head of SeaTac city government IS NOT ELECTED. The hired City Manager and 97% of staff live outside SeaTac. • An elected Mayor must live in SeaTac, would have firsthand knowledge of issues, and be directly accountable to citizens. It’s our RIGHT to ELECT our mayor.

YES to saving MILLIONS annually!

• The average City Manager budget is $8 MILLION MORE than Elected Mayor budgets. • City Managers and department heads enhance their resumes by building empires. New regulations result in more staff, larger fees, bigger budgets, and higher taxes. • The SeaTac City Manager salary is $165,000 plus benefits. Elected Mayors average $78,000 LESS.

YES to checks and balances!

• Currently, the City Council holds both Executive and Legislative powers, resulting in unchecked authority over budgets and unequal code-enforcement. An elected Mayor (Executive) and elected Council (Legislative) provide checks and balances to prevent either from abusing power. • Recently, the State Auditor found SeaTac violated contracting law and falsified bid tabulations while building a fire station; currently $2 MILLION over budget. Two more fire stations are planned. • The lack of checks and balances costs us MILLIONS.

http://www.scfem.com/proof/  MILLIONS WASTED ANNUALLY

VOTE AGAINST INCREASED CITY SPENDING. An elected mayor could require additional budget for salary, benefits, administrators, and support staff; as much as $250,000. A full-time administrator would still be required to manage the city’s day-to-day operations. A change of government disrupts city services thus increasing cost.

VOTE AGAINST INEXPERIENCED, UNQUALIFIED CITY MANAGEMENT. A City Manager is hired through a nationwide search. The job legally requires business experience and expertise. There are no qualification requirements for an elected mayor. Removing an ineffective elected mayor requires a costly recall leaving the city floundering during a long period of uncertainty. A hired City Manager can be removed by a majority Council vote.

VOTE AGAINST PARTISAN POLITICS. An elected mayoral campaign invites financial support by outside special interests. An elected mayor can hire whomever they want; inviting corruption. Our current Council-Manager form of government has 7 elected individuals who represent us. They share power and control equally; not one person control.

Our current form of government promotes accountability and transparency of elected officials. Our city budget is balanced and our finances are in order.  SeaTac’s city government is working effectively.

Facts do not support the opposition’s claims. High crime, graffiti, neglected neighborhoods, code enforcement, indifferent government, increasing taxes, fees, and over-regulation prove SeaTac isn’t working effectively. Under hired City Manager government, expenses exceeded revenues by $43 MILLION over the last five years. (http://www.scfem.com/proof/)

Claims that services will be disrupted and a Mayor would be inexperienced are fabricated. Most Washington cities (85%) select the more economical Mayor/Council government. Elect local, non-partisan, accountable leadership.

YES-PROPOSITION 1

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Earl Gipson, Pam Fernald, Cynthia Volkmann

The argument for abandoning our current, successful form of government is not convincing. Through our 7 elected council members our city government is approachable, accountable, and efficient. SeaTac’s budget is balanced.

Our 7 elected council members provide responsive, balanced and effective representation. Vague references to runaway cost and cost savings for a strong mayor are unsubstantiated and false. 83% of the highest ranked cities use our Council/Manager form of government. SeaTac’s government works.

http://seatacworksnow.com/

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Oren Hadaller, Scott Gregerson-Dahle, Tom Layden 

RESOLUTION NO. 09-011

A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the City of SeaTac, Washington calling for an election at the general election of November 3, 2009, to place before the qualified electors of the City the proposition of whether the City’s present Council-Manager plan of government should be abandoned and the Mayor-Council plan of government be adopted; and submitting this call to the King County Department of Elections for a formal order calling for an election to be held at the November 3, 2009 General Election.

WHEREAS, a petition, signed by the statutorily required number of registered voters of the City, requesting an election on the proposition of whether the City’s present Council-Manager plan of government should be abandoned and the Mayor-Council plan of government should be adopted, was submitted to the King County Department of Elections, as required by State law; and

WHEREAS, the King County Department of Elections verified the number and correctness of signatures on the petition and issued a Certificate of Sufficiency dated July 9, 2009;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATAC, WASHINGTON HEREBY RESOLVES as follows:

Section 1. Based upon the petition and certification of sufficiency, the City Council finds it necessary to call an election to be held in the City at the time of the next General Election of November 3, 2009, on the proposition of whether the City electors desire to abandon the present Council-Manager plan of government and adopt the Mayor-Council plan of government.

Section 2. A City election is hereby called for November 3, 2009, to place before the qualified electors of the City the following proposition:

PROPOSITION

CHANGE IN PLAN OF GOVERNMENT

Shall the City of SeaTac abandon its present Council-Manager plan of government under which it currently operates pursuant to RCW 35A.13 and adopt in its place the Mayor-Council plan of government pursuant to the provisions of RCW 35A.12?

Yes……………………………………..[  ]

No………………………………….…...[  ]

Section 3. King County Department of Elections is hereby requested to issue a formal order calling for an election to be held in the City of SeaTac on November 3, 2009 to place the foregoing proposition before the qualified electors of the City.

Section 4. The City Clerk is authorized and directed to file a certified copy of this Resolution, together with the Certification of the City Attorney with the King County Department of Elections upon passage of this Resolution.

    PASSED this 28^th day of July, 2009 and signed in authentication thereof on this 28^th day of July, 2009.