Drafter
Clerk 11/17/2009
Title
A MOTION establishing a process for appointing a councilmember to represent council district eight in the event of a vacancy in the office.
body
WHEREAS, the King County council is committed to principles of good government and the transparency of its proceedings, and
WHEREAS, if the councilmember currently representing council district eight is elected to serve and takes office as county executive, a vacancy will result in council district eight, and
WHEREAS, to minimize the time that the residents of council district eight would be without council representation, should a vacancy occur, the King County council wishes to act quickly to appoint a councilmember to fill the vacancy, and
WHEREAS, the King County council under the county charter may fill the vacancy by appointment of an individual to serve as the councilmember representing council district eight until a successor is elected and qualified at the November 2010 general election, and
WHEREAS, the challenges facing an appointed councilmember during the intervening months before the 2010 primary and general elections will be substantial in view of the ongoing financial crisis that the county, the state and the nation are facing, and
WHEREAS, an appointed councilmember will need to have a solid understanding of the issues impacting King County and the ability to work with labor, business, environmental and other constituencies within council district eight;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. In order to preserve public confidence in the selection process, an advisory committee is hereby established for the purpose of reviewing eligible candidates for appointment to the office of councilmember representing council district eight.
B. The advisory committee shall establish an expedited process that will facilitate prompt appointment of a councilmember to represent council district eight.
C. The advisory committee shall include representatives reflecting the geographic, economic and ethnic diversity of council district eight.
D. The appointed members of the advisory committee are:
1. Anne Levinson, cochair;
2. Mark Okazaki, cochair;
3. Aileen Balahadia;
4. Steve Daschle;
5. Tom Dean;
6. David Johnson;
7. Joan McGilton;
8. Patti Mullen;
9. Behnaz Nelson;
10. Kathy Nyland;
11. Doug Osterman; and
12. Chris Porter.
E. Qualified individuals wishing to be considered for appointment to serve as appointed councilmember representing council district eight shall submit to the clerk of the council, no later than 4:00 p.m. on November 23, 2009, a resume, a brief written explanation of how they meet the criteria stated in section I of this motion, a statement of whether they intend to run for election as councilmember representing council district eight and three references with contact information. The materials may be submitted by email, but candidates should confirm by phone that their materials have been received.
F. The clerk shall promptly assemble the application materials provided by each candidate and provide copies of those application materials to the advisory committee and each councilmember.
G. The chair of the council shall schedule the meeting of the committee after consultation with the committee cochairs.
H. No later than December 3, 2009, the advisory committee shall: hold a meeting to interview the qualified individuals who have submitted materials as provided in subsection E. of this motion; and provide to each councilmember and the clerk of the council its written recommendation of three to six candidates for consideration by the council.
1. The advisory committee's recommendations shall include at least one candidate who does not intend to run for election as councilmember representing council district eight and at least one candidate who does intend to run for election as councilmember representing council district eight, assuming qualified candidates apply who meet these criteria.
2. The advisory committee's written recommendations shall include observations about the strengths of each recommended candidate, but shall not include any stated preferences among the recommended candidates.
3. The recommendations shall not limit the council's authority under the King County Charter to appoint any citizen who meets the qualifications for office.
I. Evaluation criteria to be used by the advisory committee shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Knowledge of the functions of King County government;
2. Knowledge of the issues and challenges facing King County government;
3. Knowledge of the issues affecting the constituents of council district eight;
4. A demonstrated ability to develop a responsible budget;
5. A demonstrated ability to respond to public concerns; and
6. Demonstrated leadership skills.
J. The committee of the whole will interview the candidates recommended by the advisory committee and consider a motion appointing a qualified individual to serve as councilmember representing council district eight until a successor is elected and qualified at the November 2010 general election.
K. No later than December 14, 2009, the council shall act on the appointment motion referred to in subsection J. of this motion.
L. Because of the Municipal League's long record of public service in reviewing candidates for election, the Municipal League is encouraged to review the candidates presented for consideration to the committee and to provide any recommendations in writing to each councilmember and the clerk of the council.