On May 29, Mayor Franklin and the City Council selected the first eight members of the district commission:
- Mary Fosse
- Chris Geray
- James Langus
- Ethel McNeal
- John Monroe
- Kari Quaas
- Simone Tarver
- Benjamin Young
The eight members will select a ninth and final commissioner, and will hire a districting master to assist them in the development of a district plan and map. They are expected to begin meeting this fall.
There were 44 applicants for the district commission, representing 18 neighborhoods.
Everett City Council
The City of Everett operates under a mayor-council form of government. The Mayor (elected at large) serves as the City's chief executive and administrative officer. A 7-member elected council serves as the City's legislative body, and has the authority to formulate and adopt policies.
What are districts?
While many cities in Washington elect all of their councilmembers at-large, others have chosen to establish wards or districts, in which some or all of the councilmembers are elected by and represent specific geographic areas of the city.
City Council districting was approved by Everett voters in Nov. 2018. Voters selected a total of 5 districts and 2 at-large positions.
What happens next?
District Commission and map drawing: We expect the District Commission to be appointed in summer 2019. Current council members and the Mayor will each appoint one commissioner and those eight individuals will appoint the final, 9th member. Commissioners must be Everett residents and can't be a City employee, a candidate for elected office or a current elected official (except precinct officer).
The Commission will hire a "Districting Master" who will help them develop a district plan, including a map; the Commission can also retain other consultant support. The Commission will also engage the community and solicit feedback as they develop the draft plan. The draft district plan, including the map, will be shared with the public for comment with at least six meetings (one in each district area and one full community). These meetings will start no later than Sept. 2020.
The final district plan and map must be approved by the Commission no later than Nov. 1, 2020. City Council will then adopt the plan without modification.
Elections: Position 1-5 will eventually become the district positions, and positions 6 and 7 will become the at-large positions.
In 2019, there will be elections for positions 4 and 5 (2-year, at-large terms) and for positions 6 and 7 (4-year, at-large terms).
2021 will be the first election by district. Candidates can run for 4-year terms in positions 1-5, representing the new districts. In 2023, there will be elections for positions 6 and 7 for 4-year, at-large terms.