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The King County Charter Amendments are eight proposed amendments to the charter that sets out the governing structure for King County, Washington, all of which will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot for residents of King County. Two of the proposed amendments (Charter Amendments 1 and 8) were placed on the ballot through the citizen initiative process. Six of the amendments (Charter Amendments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) were placed on the ballot by a vote of the King County Council.
Charter Amendment 1 calls for an elected non-partisan elections director for King County. This amendment was placed on the ballot via the collection of signatures. The question on the ballot will be, "Shall the King County Charter be amended to provide that the position of county director of elections be created as a nonpartisan elected office?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It says, "Shall Section 840 of the King County Charter be amended to add disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression to the prohibited grounds for discrimination in county employment and county contracting, and to limit the prohibition against discrimination in county contracting to contracts with nongovernmental entities, as provided in Ordinance No. 16204?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It says, "Shall Sections 230.10, 270.20 and 270.30 of the King County Charter be amended to reduce the number of county council members on regional committees, establish a vice chair position on regional committees, authorize the regional policy committee to adopt its own work program, add authority for regional committees to initiate legislation, modify regional committee procedures, and authorize the addition of nonvoting members to the water quality committee, as provided in Ordinance No. 16205?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It says, "Shall Section 630 of the King County Charter be amended to authorize the county council to establish additional qualifications for separately elected officials who head executive departments, as provided in Ordinance No. 16206?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It says, "Shall the King County Charter be amended to require the establishment of a forecast council and an office of economic and financial analysis, as provided in Ordinance No. 16207?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It says, "Shall Sections 410 and 420 of the King County Charter be amended to impose deadlines that are twenty days earlier than existing deadlines for county agencies to submit budget information to the county executive and for the county executive to present a proposed budget to the county council, as provided in Ordinance No. 16208?"
This amendment was placed on the ballot by the King County Council. It originally said, "Shall King County Charter Section 800 be amended to establish a new process for citizens to directly propose amendments to the King County Charter and to set the signature threshold for citizen-initiated charter amendments at twenty percent of votes cast in the last election for county executive, as provided in Ordinance No. 16221?"
However, a judge determined as a result of a ballot title lawsuit brought by Tim Eyman that the ballot title was misleading. King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick ordered that the wording be changed to explain clearly that the measure would boost the number of signatures needed to place future citizen-initiated amendments to the King County Charter on the ballot from 10 percent to 20 percent.[1]
This amendment was placed on the ballot via citizen initiative. It says, "Shall the King County Charter be amended to make the offices of King county executive, King county assessor and King county council nonpartisan, and to establish the nonpartisan selection of districting committee members?"
County level elections in Pierce County will use Ranked Choice Voting for the first time in 2008.[2]
Charter Amendment 1 called for a streamlined process for appointing citizens to Boards and Commissions.
Explanatory Statement: The Pierce County Council has passed Ordinance No. 2008-55s, proposing an amendment to the Pierce County Charter concerning appointment and confirmations of members to Boards and Commissions. If passed, it would require: the Executive must appoint from a list of three candidates supplied by the Councilmember filling district-specific appointments only if the list of three names has been supplied within thirty days of the vacancy to be filled; the Executive must transmit appointments to the Council within sixty days of a vacancy; and, the Council would have the authority to appoint and confirm members to boards and commissions when filling vacancies of ninety days or more.
The question on the ballot will be, "Should Charter Amendment No. 1 be approved?"
Pud Proposition 1
PUD Proposition 1 ― a resolution of the Commissioners of Public Utility District No.1 of Skagit County, Washington ― asks voters to approve or reject PUD authority to “construct or acquire electric facilities for the generation, transmission or distribution of electric power.”
Stevens County Commissioner District No. 1
Stevens County Commissioner District No. 3
Stevens County PUD Commissioner District 2
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