Voters to decide who chooses the mayor; a fire/EMS levy also on ballot
Voters in the city of Washougal have two separate ballot measures to consider on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Here’s a closer look at Proposition 9 and Proposition 10.
Proposition 9
Proposition 9 allows voters to decide whether to directly elect the mayor every four years, or, to continue to have the members of the City Council select one member of the council to serve as mayor every two years. This proposition does not affect the city’s current form of government nor the role of the mayor – it only affects how the mayor is selected. In either scenario, the mayor is a voting member of the council.
A May 2018 resolution placed Proposition 8 on the November 2018 ballot for voters. This: changed the city’s form of government from Mayor-Council to Council-Manager. Members of the council indicated that if Proposition 8 passed, they would place a subsequent proposition on a ballot.
Proposition 9 asks if voters want to directly elect the mayor every four years, or, stick with the default method of selecting the mayor wherein the council selects one member of the council as mayor every two years.
If a majority approves Proposition 9, council position No. 1 will be designated as the mayor position and will be elected at-large by the people to a four-year term beginning with the November 2021 election. If the proposition is defeated, the council will continue to select one member of the council as mayor every two years. No matter the outcome of the vote, the role of the mayor is unchanged.
Clark County Today reported on the recent decision by the council to not fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Ray Kutch. Part of that discussion tied to the coming vote on Proposition 9, and can be read here.
The Proposition 9 Fact Sheet can be found at cityofwashougal.us/Proposition9.
Proposition 10
Proposition 10 asks voters to replace the expiring ten cents ($.10) per $1,000 of assessed valuation Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift. The current Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift expires at the end of 2020. The proposition would authorize the city to assess the Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift for six years (2021–2026).
The combination of the current expiring Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift and the Replacement Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift is estimated to add an additional cost of $12 annually for a home valued at $400K, or $1.00/month. Voters should understand inflation will impact the amount of taxes paid, as the assessed value of their home changes.
The Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift is a dedicated source of funding used for the provision of fire and emergency medical services in Washougal. The Camas-Washougal Fire Department experienced a 66 percent increase in Fire/EMS calls between 2010 and 2019. Replacing the expiring Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift provides dedicated funding to maintain Washougal’s current level of fire and emergency medical services.
The Proposition 10 Fact Sheet can be found at cityofwashougal.us/Proposition10.
