Tacoma’s charter review process is now over. The voters have spoken. They approved most of the changes to the city’s constitution, with nine of the 12 changes approved by the City Council to ride the Nov. 4 ballot passing by wide margins in early returns.
Most of the charter changes outlined in the slate of voter-approved resolutions were largely housekeeping items to bring the city charter in compliance with current practices and state law. But two items received mixed results at the ballot box.
Resolution 6, for example, gave the City Council more oversight of the municipally owned Tacoma Public Utilities by giving councilmembers the authority to confirm the appointment of the utility’s executive director and reconfirm the appointment every other year rather than just a simple appointment by the TPU Board of Commissioners. The change is passing with a vote of 55.8 percent to 44.3 percent.
Voters, however, kept the city’s current term limit structure of 10 years total on the council and as mayor. Resolution 8 would have allowed council members to serve up to two years of a council appointment followed by two full terms of four years before then serving up to two four-year terms as mayor. Supporters said the change solves an issue caused by the staggering of terms of the nine-member council, while opponents said it would simply extend the terms of “career politicians” since the change would extend term limits to a total of up to 18 years. The proposed change was voted down with a vote of 37.5 percent “for” and 62.5 percent “against.”
The approved-by-voters column includes a resolution to create a Citizen Salary Commission to set the salaries for the council and mayor rather than have the council members approve salary changes by ordinance. Part-time council members currently earned $41,267 a year while the mayor is paid $91,042.
Another charter change voters approved allows the council to immediately enact ordinances one a measure is passed rather than require that an ordinance goes into effect only after notice of the passage is published in legal notices.
Results for Charter Changes
Resolution No. 1 – Election provision changes to comply with state law is passing with 64 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 2 – The use of gender-neutral language in the charter is passing with 59 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 3 – Updates of the charter’s definition of anti-discrimination provisions is passing with 70.8 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 4 – Changes the effective date of emergency ordinances is passing with 53 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 5 – Allows the City Council to confirm appointment of department heads is passing with 52 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 6 – Allows the City Council to confirm and reconfirm the Director of Utilities is passing with 55 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 7 – Formally listing the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission is failing with only 49 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 8 – Changing term limits for mayor and council is failing with just 37 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 9 – Creates a Citizen Commission on elected officer salaries is passing with 53 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 10 - Deletes a citywide prohibition of new cemeteries is passing with 54 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 11 – Allows city employees to participate in conservation, environmental, and other programs otherwise available to the public is passing with 61 percent of the vote.
Resolution No. 12 - Removing citizenship and City residency as requirements of eligibility for municipal employment is failing with only 33 percent of the vote.
Tacoma Races
Tacoma’s Congressional Districts 6 and 9 will keep their incumbents with District 6’s Derek Kilmer leading challenger Marty McClendon with 63 percent of the vote, while Adam Smith leads Doug Basler with 69 percent of the vote.
Tacoma’s State Legislative Districts 27, 28 and 29 largely will keep their incumbents as well since 27th Representative Laurie Jenkins leads challenger Rodger Deskins with 67 percent, 27th Representative Jake Fey leads Steven Cooks with 66 percent. District 28 Representative Dick Muri leads challenger Mary Moss with 58 percent and Paul Wagemann is narrowly edging Christine Kilduff with 50.2 percent. Steven O’Ban is set to unseat incumbent Tami Green with 54 percent of the vote in the 28th District Senate race. David Sawyer is besting Jason Bergstrom in the 29th representative race with 55 percent of the vote. Steve Kirby retains his seat in an unchallenged race and Steve Conway retains his 29th District Senate seat with 58 percent of the vote.
State results
Initiative Measure 1351- would have lowered class sizes and is failing with only 49 percent of the vote.
Initiative Measure 591 – would have prohibited background checks on firearms unless a uniform national standard is set and is failing with just 45 percent of the vote.
Initiative Measure 594 – requires universal background checks on gun purchases is passing with 59 percent of the vote.
Two advisory votes that allow voters to state their opinion on tax increases approved by the Legislature about marijuana taxes and excise taxes on tribal property are both narrowly passing.
Updated election returns are available at http://www.twitter.com/PierceCountyAud and http://www.piercecountyelections.org and by calling Pierce County Elections at (253) 798-3189.