The Metropolitan King County Council’s Committee of the Whole today sent Initiative 24, a measure that would create informal community networks to discuss countywide issues, to the full Council for final action at a special meeting scheduled for this Friday.

Authored by Seattle businessman Dick Spady, I-24 would establish “Citizen Councilor Networks,” groups of 4 to 12 people who would meet in informal settings to discuss issues of public importance. The issues discussed would be chosen from a list of topics selected by the County Auditor and presented to the Councilor Networks, who would then choose what they consider the most important issues to discuss.

Funding for the Councilor Networks would come from donations. According to the initiative, the program would not begin until $20,000 had been raised and 1,000 people had volunteered to participate. At today’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Spady told Councilmembers that if members were to adopt Initiative 24 without going to the ballot, he would donate the $50,000 he planned to spend on a voter campaign to fund the first year of operations for the Councilor Networks. Spady has also pledged to contribute an additional $260,000 to defray the cost of setting up the program.

“Enhanced citizen involvement is at the heart of Initiative 24 and represents a wonderful extension of the council’s outreach work established with our monthly Town Hall meetings and our citizen engagement workshops on the county budget,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips. “Through the generous offer of the Spady’s, this citizen program comes at no cost to the taxpayers, and by adopting the initiative outright, the council would honor the call of over 50,000 voters who signed the initiative petition while saving the costs of an election. It’s a ‘win-win’ for our citizens and taxpayers, as well as elected officials who need to hear their voices.”

“Maximum public involvement is the key to effective democracy,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, co-sponsor of the ordinance to create Citizen Councilor Networks in King County. “Citizens are looking for one more way to participate in government, and this measure promises an interesting new vehicle for citizen participation. This is a good government measure to engage the public on county issues that impact us all.”

“By adopting this initiative, the Council would further institutionalize an important link between the citizens and their government,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, co-sponsor of the ordinance. “This system can only have a positive effect.”

The Council is scheduled to decide whether to adopt the ordinance proposed by I-24 or send the initiative to the November general election ballot at a special Council meeting Friday, September 7, at the Mercer View Community Center on Mercer Island.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.
Type in “2007-0437”