King County Local Voters Pamphlet - April 27, 1999 Special Election--City of Sammamish Only

King County Local Voters Pamphlet
April 27, 1999 Special Election

City of Sammamish Council-Interim Term
Election Information

This election will determine which candidates will serve on the initial city council, the one that will officially start your new city functioning. It is called an "interim" council because it will serve only until the fall of 2001 when the first full time council will be elected. However, the responsibilities of the interim council are no less important.

Once the election is certified and city council is sworn in, the transition process begins. This includes the following:

The new city council begins the selection process for a mayor and a new city manager; the mayor and/or manager, as the case may be, begins the process of selecting city department heads. The effective date of incorporation is designated. A city budget is prepared for both the transition phase and the first formal year of operations. A determination is made on temporary transitional housing of city offices and facilities. Key city departments are organized and a determination of the new city’s relationship to special districts is made.
A determination is made of initial operating policies and a determination of initial fiscal policies is made. Decisions are legally established through the adoption of appropriate city ordinances by the interim city council.

The mayor is selected by the city council from among its members. The mayor presides at meetings of the city council and may vote as any other council member; he or she acts as the head of the city for all ceremonial purposes and for purposes of military law, and has the duty of preserving order in time of emergency. The mayor has the rights, privileges, and immunities of a member of the city council, but does not possess veto power.

Services by the county are to continue at pre-incorporation levels through the transition period as follows: (1) County law enforcement and road maintenance is to be provided for up to 60 days after the official date of incorporation or until the new city could start receiving sales tax distributions, whichever is shorter. (2) On the official date of incorporation, franchises are canceled and forthwith reissued to continue business for a period not less than the remaining term of the original franchise or permit, or for five years, whichever is shorter. The new city may not grant new franchises or permits for similar or competing services unless it can be shown that the existing franchise is unable or refuses to adequately serve the incorporated territory at a reasonable price.

(The above information provided as a guideline only. State statutes are final determinants.)

Updated: April 15, 1999

Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County.
By visiting this and other King County web pages,
you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site.
The details.