District FW IV (Citizens Init. 24-003)
District Federal Way IV (CITIZENS INIT. 24-003)
District Federal Way IV (C.I. #24-003), if receiving enough signatures and getting on the ballot and passing, would implement 6 ward or district seats and 1 at-large seat for the Federal Way City Council after a district map is drawn by a Districting Commission and the 2027 elections ensue. The ward system would have one City Councilmember for each of 6 wards, thereby ensuring close proximity of at least one councilmember to any particular City neighborhood and, as would follow, closer attention to all neighborhoods and areas, and more of a councilmember-to-constituent connection. There would still be an at-large councilmember elected in alternate election cycles, along with the mayor, except for the first 2027 election when all the Council seats would be elected together.
THE CITY
WARDS/DISTRICTS
Speakers and volunteers
SPEAK/WORD-OF-MOUTH/WRITE/GATHER SIGNATURES
SPEAK/WORD-OF-MOUTH/WRITE/GATHER SIGNATURES
SPEAK/WORD-OF-MOUTH/WRITE/GATHER SIGNATURES
Exclusively a Federal Way petition, which only FW reg. voters can sign. Speak at your community organizations in favor of the wards/districts petition. Be sure to ask for volunteers-for-the-committee, and pretty much exclusively, for the time being, to help us gather signatures. If you can't download and print the petition yourself (see the right-side content), we will mail you one.
COLLECT SIGNATURES NOW
SPEAK/WORD-OF-MOUTH/WRITE/GATHER SIGNATURES
SPEAK/WORD-OF-MOUTH/WRITE/GATHER SIGNATURES
Download and print the petition below (PDF Viewer) and start getting signatures (must be on 11" by 17" and double-sided paper; there are two sections). Mail the finished sheets to the committee address on the petition (On "separate-from-the-petition" paper, be sure to include your name & address, and how many sheets you've mailed in or handed in to us, so far). This will be considered an in-kind contribution.
The Amendment
Preamble
Revised Code Amendment:
The People of the City of Federal Way, exercising their power to amend the Federal Way Revised Code by popular vote under Chapter 1.30, Section 1.30.180 of the Revised Code, and under the general provisions of Chapter 1.30 of the Revised Code, enact the following Amendment to the Federal Way Revised Code, Title 2, Chapter 2.08. Thereby, changing the system of electing members of the Federal Way City Council from the totally at-large electoral system to a mixed system in which one (1) City Councilmember is elected at-large and six (6) City Councilmembers are elected by wards (or districts), enabling every neighborhood in the city to have at least one Councilmember, their own ward (or district) Councilmember, to be in close proximity to where they live and increasing the chances that at least one Councilmember has a practical connection to his or her constituents. In amending sections, removals are in strikeout, additions are underlined except the electronic processing of this Amendment may interdict the underlining of commas or certain commas, so in cases where added commas begin or end around underlined phrases, they are in bold; Revised Code Amendment section headers are in Bold Italics.
Sections 1 & 2
Section 1. Federal Way Revised Code, Chapter 2.08, Section 2.08.010, is amended as follows:
FWRC, Chapter 2.08, City Council
Sec. 2.08.010, Number of Council Members
The city of Federal Way is a noncharter code city under the laws of the state, and to provide a mixed system of ward (or district) and at-large representation, its city council shall consist of seven members [deleted - who shall be elected at large.], with position 7 elected from the city at-large and positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 elected by wards (or districts).
Section 2. A new section is added to the Federal Way Revised Code, Chapter 2.08, as follows:
FWRC, Chapter 2.08, City Council
New Sec. 2.08.60 Eligibility
No person shall be eligible for membership in the City Council unless he or she shall be a citizen of the United States and a qualified elector of the State of Washington and a registered voter and a resident of The City of Federal Way from at least one year prior to his or her election (or prior to appointment) through the term of service. A ward (or district) member shall be a resident of the ward (or district) represented, in accordance with RCW 35A.12.180.
Sections 4 & 5
Section 4. A new section is added to the Federal Way Revised Code, Chapter 2.08, as follows:
FWRC, Chapter 2.08, City Council
New Sec. 2.08.80 Transition Provisions
To implement the change in the electoral system by Section 1 of this Amendment, the provisions of this Section shall be applied after passage of ordinance, in accordance with Title 35A RCW, RCW 35A.12.180 and RCW 29A.92.050, and, thereby, the invocation of a voluntary change to the electoral system under RCW 29A.92.040.
Subject to the provisions of RCW 35A.12.040, Councilmember position 7, created by Section 1 of this Amendment, elected at the 2027 general municipal election, shall be elected at-large and shall be for a two-year term ending on December 31, 2029; subsequent to the 2027 general municipal election, Councilmember position 7 shall be for a four-year term.
Councilmember positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, created by Section 1 of this Amendment, elected at the 2027 general municipal election, shall be elected by districts and shall be for four-year terms ending on December 31, 2031.
The provisions of this Revised Code Amendment shall be effective not later than thirty (30) days after final passage.
Section 5. A new section is added to the Federal Way Revised Code, Chapter 2.08, as follows:
FWRC, Chapter 2.08, City Council
New Sec. 2.08.90 Liberal Construction; Severability
The provisions of this Amendment are to be liberally construed to achieve its purposes. If any provision of this Amendment or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Amendment or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.