Drafter
Clerk 08/17/2017
Title
AN ORDINANCE providing for the submission of Initiative 27 (Proposed Ordinance 2017-XXXX) to the qualified electors of King County at a special election to be held in King County on November 7, 2017; and declaring an emergency.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. Section 230.50 of the King County Charter specifies a county initiative process whereby the public may propose a county ordinance by filing with the council petitions containing the required number of signatures of registered county voters.
2. A county initiative proposing a prohibition on supervised drug consumption sites and the expenditure of public funds for such activities, Initiative 27, has been filed.
3. On April 17, 2017, in accordance with Section 230.50 of the King County Charter, the clerk of the council received the form of Initiative 27.
4. On July 24, 2017, 64,557 signatures were filed for Initiative 27 by the initiative's sponsor with the clerk of the council.
5. The department of elections has transmitted to the council a certified copy of the facts relating to the filing of the petition and the canvass of signatures determining that there are sufficient valid signatures to qualify the initiative ordinance. As a result, the ordinance has been introduced as Proposed Ordinance 2017-XXXX.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The county currently has plans to begin implementing two safe consumption sites that would be prohibited should the initiative pass.
B. Action now is required to permit Initiative 27 to be placed on the November 7, 2017, ballot for a decision by the voters of the county, in order to prevent the larger amount of possibly wasted expenditure of resources on planning and implementation of supervised drug consumption sites that would occur should the voters approve the ordinance sites at a later special election date.
SECTION 2. The council hereby determines that:
A. It will not enact the ordinance proposed by Initiative 27;
B. It will not reject the ordinance and adopt a substitute ordinance concerning the same subject matter; and
C. It waives the ninety-day period provided by Section 230.50 of the King County Charter for its consideration of the proposed ordinance.
SECTION 3. Initiative 27 shall be submitted to the qualified voters of King County for their approval and ratification or rejection at a special election held at the general election on November 7, 2017.
SECTION 4. The county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency
exists and that this ordinance is necessary for support of the county government and its existing public institutions.