The Municipal League of King County
Suggestions for issues to be studied by King County Charter Review Commission
1. Historic Municipal League positions:
- Partisanship/non-partisanship: The Municipal League believes that this important issue
should be placed on the ballot so King County citizens may finally choose whether they want
their county government to be partisan or non-partisan. Placing the partisanship issue on
the ballot was a key part of the Summit Agreement in 1992, which resulted in the merger of
King County and Metro. After agreeing to this provision, the County Council changed its position
and the partisanship issue was never put on the ballot. The Municipal League has historically
supported non-partisanship for King County government.
- Electing policymakers, appointing managers: The Municipal League believes that leadership
positions in King County government which primarily require policy making and representation
should be elected, while positions requiring administrative and management expertise should be
appointed. The Municipal League opposed the 1996 charter change which brought about election
of the King County sheriff.
2. Unincorporated representation:
- During its significant public outreach process, the 1997 Charter Review Commission heard
significant concerns about the effectiveness of representation for citizens living in
unincorporated areas. The Commission called for further study and subsequent action.
- King County is the only local government for citizens of unincorporated areas, but the majority
of council members represent mostly urban constituents who have separate municipal governments
for local affairs.
- The Municipal League has adopted and is in the early stages of a study of property rights
issues in King County. One issue to be examined is the link between rural representation
concerns and perception of regulatory unfairness.
- The Municipal League opposed the two past statewide property rights ballot measures (R-48 and
I-933) but found that some of the concerns behind them may be legitimate. They will be examined
in the study.
3. Amending the Charter by citizen initiative process:
- This was the top recommendation of the last Charter Review Commission.
- The Commission found that the County Council’s historic role as gatekeeper to the ballot for
charter changes may be too restrictive and/or self-interested.
- King County needs to clarify implementation procedures following the recent Washington State
Supreme Court ruling allowing charter change by initiative. Among issues to consider: Should
the number of signatures required for access to the ballot be higher than for regular
legislative initiatives?
4. Role of Regional Committees:
- Regional Committees are the product of the Summit Agreement merging County and Metro. They are
intended to provide “a voice and a vote” for local governments in regional affairs. This “voice
and vote” was something local governments were accustomed to having as members of the Metro Council,
and which they would otherwise lose with the merger.
- The implementation of the Regional Committees was never adequately monitored for successful
implementation. There were problems from the inception of the committees.
- This issue was a major concern of the 1997 Charter Review Commission, which recommended improvements
to the makeup and operating procedures of the Regional Committees. These recommendations were not
placed on the ballot. The Municipal League believes this issue should be revisited by the current
Charter Review Commission, and a fresh look taken at how the Regional Committees are working.
5. Role of the Ethics Board and Ombudsman:
- This too was a concern of 1997 Charter Review Commission, which recommended measures to ensure the
independence of the Ethics Board.
- This needs monitoring to determine whether the Ethics Board and Ombudsman are fulfilling their original
intent and mission.
The Municipal League will carefully monitor the progress of the Charter Review Commission, and expects to enjoy
a constructive interaction with the Commission as it moves ahead with its important work.
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