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2004 KING COUNTY DISTRICTING COMMITTEE

November 22, 2004
Council Appoints 4 Members of Districting Committee

Four members to choose a fifth; first meeting set for Wednesday

The Metropolitan King County Council today appointed four King County citizens to serve on the Districting Committee charged with redrawing the boundaries of the county’s Council districts and reducing their number from 13 to nine, as called for by certification on November 17 of King County Charter Amendment One.

“This concludes our part of the job of meeting the requirements of the charter amendment,” said Council Chair Larry Phillips. “It is now entirely up to this citizen committee to meet, hold public hearings and file a new map of the county with nine new council districts of equal population.”

The four Districting Committee members appointed by the Council are:

Steve Dennis of Bellevue is the retired president of the Quadrant Corporation. He has served on the boards of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council of Seattle & King County. On Nov. 12th he received the Hall of Fame Award from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

Joann Francis of Seattle is an attorney-at-law and owner of the Francis Law Office. She previously served as chief administrative officer of Sound Transit and has served as a top official with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice.

J. Michael Mann of Seattle served on the most recent King County Districting Committee in 2001. He has consulted on numerous civic initiatives and now serves as Deputy Director for the Seattle Office of Policy and Management.

Skip Rowley of Sammamish, a lifetime resident of King County, is CEO and Chairman of Rowley Properties and has worked in the property management business for many years.

As specified under the King County Charter, the four members will meet to select a fifth member to serve as committee chair. The Districting Committee will then select an expert consultant to serve as their districting master and provide opportunities for public input into the proposed district boundaries. The Districting Committee, not the County Council, adopts the final districting plan, which is filed with the Clerk of the Council.

The first meeting of the Districting Committee is set for Wednesday, November 24, at 9:00 a.m. in the Southwest Conference Room on the 12th floor of the King County Courthouse.

Under state law and the county charter, the Districting Committee uses the most recent U.S. Census to draw new district boundaries. The statutes require that the boundaries of each district shall correspond as nearly as practical with the boundaries of existing municipalities, election precincts, census tracts, recognized natural boundaries, and communities of related and mutual interest; shall be drawn to produce districts with compact and contiguous territory; shall be composed of economic and geographic units; and shall be as nearly equal in population as possible. Population data may not be used for purposes of favoring or disfavoring any racial group or political party.

Today’s regular Monday meeting was the first opportunity for the Council to take official action on the Districting Committee appointments. By law no redistricting process could begin until the general election was certified on November 17th.