Everett Charter: Five ballot measures reshape local governance rules
Voters face choices on council limits, petition thresholds, and digital notices in the November election.
By Javier Sanders ·
Everett residents will vote on five charter amendments in November that alter how the city government operates, including changes to candidate eligibility and public notice procedures.
The measures stem from a decade-long review of the city charter, which functions as the local constitution. An appointed panel of community volunteers examined the document, collected public feedback, and drafted specific recommendations. The City Council reviewed these proposals and selected the five items now appearing on the ballot.
Proposition 1 addresses who may hold office. It clarifies residency rules for candidates running for district-based council seats. It also bars the mayor or any council member from serving in another elected government position at the same time.
Proposition 2 changes how often the council must meet. It lowers the annual minimum from 48 sessions to 36. However, it requires at least two meetings each month and mandates the publication of a meeting calendar. The amendment also refines certain procedural rules for those gatherings.
Proposition 3 updates the language regarding the Civil Service Commission to match current state law. Proposition 4 standardizes the petition process for citizen-driven measures. It sets a uniform signature threshold of 10% for both initiatives and referendums. It adds new steps for submitting and reviewing petitions and requires fiscal impact data for all ballot measures.
Proposition 5 offers the city a new option for publishing legally required notices. It permits the city to post specific notices on its official website instead of paying for newspaper ads, provided state law allows it. This change adds a digital alternative but does not remove every requirement for newspaper publication.
City spokeswoman Simone Tarver stated that the city has not yet estimated the potential savings from switching to digital notices. As of the reporting deadline, city staff were compiling records of past expenditures on newspaper legal notices, including invoices and payment details, to clarify those costs. The full report, meeting materials, and recordings from the review process are available on the city’s website at www.everettwa.gov/charterreview.
