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Home My WebLink Aboutord2007-069WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2007 -467 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator., Brenner 11/20/2007 11/20/2007 Introduction Division Head: 12/4/2007 Council Dept. Head., Prosecutor: Purchasin 1Bud et: Executive: TITLE OF DOCUMENT: Ordinance forwarding Charter amendment to the Auditor re: countywide voting ATTACHMENTS: SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a !rearing ? ( ) Yes ( X } NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARYSTATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing, you mustprovide the language for use in the requiredpublic notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) This ordinance forwards proposed Charter Amendment 1 to the County Auditor, for inclusion on the 2008 General Election ballot, to provide that each member of the Whatcom County Council shall be elected by majority vote of all registered voters of Whatcom County. COMMITTEE ACTION. COUNCIL ACTION: 11/20/2007: Introduced 12/4/2007: Council Adopted 6 -1 Crawford opposed Ord. 2007 -069 Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Ord. 2007 --069 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County's website at. www.co.whatcom.wa.us /council. SPONSORED BY: CONSENT PROPOSED BY: BRENNER INTRODUCTION DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ORDINANCE NO, 2007 -069 FORWARDING CHARTER AMENDMENT 1 TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR, FOR INCLUSION ON THE 2008 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT, TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL BE ELECTED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS OF WHATCOM COUNTY WHEREAS, Whatcom County is the most local form of government for over half the population of our county; and WHEREAS, many of the Whatcom County issues determined by the County Council affect all of Whatcom County's population; and WHEREAS, each Whatcom County district ensures candidates for county council in the general election have already met district standards by residing in the district and being forwarded from the district as the top two candidates after the primary election; and WHEREAS, there was no comprehensive debate last year regarding general election district -only voting versus general election county -wide voting for county council members who have already been forwarded by their districts; and WHEREAS, last year's election changed the Whatcom County voting process without a comprehensive debate on its merits; and WHEREAS, there was no local voters pamphlet which would explain both sides of the issue before the measure was voted upon; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County has now implemented a comprehensive local voters pamphlet to be able to give all voters both sides of the issue; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council is comprised of only seven members and each general election includes no more than four positions, which is a small enough number to ensure voters can obtain ample information on all council candidates with the assistance of the recently instituted local voters pamphlet; and WHEREAS, an election cycle has passed in which Whatcom County voters had the experience of district only voting in the general election for county council members; and WHEREAS, many Whatcom County voters were upset by their inability to vote for all council members who directly affect their lives and were in the last general election; and WHEREAS, district -only general election voting limits individual Whatcom County voters to only being able to elect a minority of council members who make decisions that may directly affect their lives; and WHEREAS, the ballot title of the measure that changed Whatcom County's voting process last year may have been confusing to some voters; and WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Charter allows a super majority of the Whatcom County Council to place charter amendment measures as general election ballot questions to be voted on by all qualified registered voters of Whatcom County. NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED that the Whatcom County Council approves placing Charter Amendment 1 on the 2008 General Election Ballot as specified in Exhibits A to this ordinance. ADq��i�Aii?lrs�4th day of December , 2007. cou �ATCO •. / WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AT S'.Ir:' �NSr( WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON • r C�z/ Dam Br' ncil� lerk Cl We' er, Council Chair .• APPR� D AS TO f�Jk i�� ( arApproved { } Denied 1611+ W it%N\\ Civil Deputy Prosecutor Pete Kreme1n, County Executive Date: EXHIBIT A WHATCOM COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 1 BALLOT TITLE SHALL SECTION 2.13 OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT, FOLLOWING THE PRIMARY ELECTION, THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES FROM EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT TO BE ELECTED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS OF WHATCOM COUNTY. AMENDED CHARTER LANGUAGE Section 2.13 — Election Countywide The registered voters of Whatcom County shall vote upon each council member position at the November general election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each position shall be elected.