Dear District 2 Friends and Neighbors:

In the closest election in state history, King County Elections has become the focus of recount errors and misplaced ballots surrounding the 2004 Gubernatorial Election. I am hosting a town hall meeting focused on King County Elections on Thursday, January 27, to answer the many questions you have. Dean Logan, Director of Elections, will be my guest. I hope you can join us for this informative meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Maple Leaf Lutheran Church (10005 32nd Ave. N.E.).

My current print newsletter focuses on my outreach efforts in North Seattle and should be in your mailbox soon. If you don’t receive one, please contact my office and we will mail you one or visit my website to view it online.

I hope you enjoy District 2 E-News. Please contact me with any questions or comments. To unsubscribe, please see directions at the end of this message.

Election Reform

The ongoing gubernatorial race has placed a spotlight on King County Elections. I am committed to improving the current election process implemented by King County Elections and will work this winter on necessary election reform.

Washington State law largely dictates election procedures to be implemented at the county level. For example, King County cannot legally begin counting absentee ballots before election day. Only processing of ballots, checking signatures, and updating the voter database can occur beforehand. Also, there is not a clear due date for absentee ballots—as long as the postmark is the day of election, the election’s office can receive the ballot often a week after the election causing delays in final results. The State of Oregon changed their due date of ballots to election day when they moved to an exclusive vote by mail system.

To discuss needed election reform and the errors that arose in the 2004 General Election, please attend my town meeting with Dean Logan, Director of King County Elections. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 27, 7:00 p.m. at the Maple Leaf Lutheran Church (10005 32nd Ave. N.E.).

Council Reduction This Fall

The King County Council will reduce from 13 to 9 members this fall. Council district lines are currently being redrawn by 5 citizens serving on the Redistricting Committee. Draft maps are now available at the Districting Committee Website.

State law requires the Districting Committee to draw the boundaries to correspond as nearly as practical with the boundaries of existing municipalities and to recognize natural boundaries and communities of related interest. Features of the new draft maps for our district include jumping across the ship canal to pick up Capitol Hill and going across the lake to include Mercer Island. Please review the draft maps to find out where your neighborhood might be placed.

Your participation is crucial. The Redistricting Committee will host three public meetings to hear your input on the new lines and define who will represent your neighborhood on the King County Council. You can also testify online by visiting the Districting Committee Website. The committee will create one map by Friday, January 7, so I encourage you to submit your feedback by this Thursday if you would like to participate. The new district lines will be approved on January 15, 2005.

Public Hearings:

Wednesday, January 5, 6:00 p.m.
Lake Forest Park City Hall (17425 Ballinger Way N.E.)

Thursday, January 6, 6:00 p.m.
Auburn City Hall (25 West Main)

Saturday, January 8, 10:00 a.m.
King County Courthouse, Council Chambers (516 Third Ave.)

More Information:
Partisanship takes back seat to survival as King County Council shrinks
The Seattle P.I. – December 6, 2004

In the Community

Renovating Ravenna Playground

In mid-December, I toured Ravenna Playground and met with Friends of Ravenna Playground founder Ella Thompson. Friends of Ravenna Playground formed to renovate the unsafe and out-of-date playground equipment at Ravenna Park (5500 block of Ravenna Boulevard). I secured $20,000 through King County for the Friends of Ravenna Playground to help with this project. If you are interested in volunteering or getting involved, please contact friends@ravennaplayground.org.

Volunteering at Tallmadge Hamilton House

In early December, my staff and I spent the morning decorating for the holidays with the seniors at Tallmadge Hamilton House, a Senior Activity Center in the University District at 5225 15th Northeast. We put up the tree, hung lights, and ate cookies with seniors. I was very impressed with the programming offered for seniors at Hamilton House, the oldest senior center in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, please contact (206) 524-0473 or hhseniors@seanet.com.

Northgate Artists Wanted

The recently formed Northgate Neighborhood Arts Council is looking for interested artists to assist with public art in Northgate neighborhoods including Maple Leaf, Pinehurst, Licton Springs, Meadowbrook, and Haller Lake. If you are interested or would like to attend the next meeting, please contact Lorna Mrachek at lamrachek@msn.com or (206) 366-8338.

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Phone: (206) 296-1002 | Fax: (206) 296-0198 | TTY/TDD: (206) 296-1024 | Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104-3272