Title
Agenda Item:
Appoint Pro and Con Committees for the 0.1% Public Safety Ballot Issue and adopt resolution reflecting Council decision.
Body
Issue:
Which individuals should the City Council appoint for committees to prepare Voters' Pamphlet statements for and against the Criminal Justice Sales and Use Tax Proposition?
City Manager's Recommendation:
Move to appoint individuals to committees to prepare Voters' Pamphlet statements for and against a ballot proposition authorizing a 0.1% increase in sales and use tax for public safety and criminal justice purposes and adopt Resolution for transmittal to County.
Staff Contact:
Tom Morrill, City Attorney, 360.753.8338
Background and Analysis:
The City Council at its July 17, 2012 regular open meeting approved a a process for identifying individuals for committees to prepare Voters' Pamphlet statements for and against a proposition authorizing a 0.1% increase in sales and use tax for public safety and criminal justice purposes.
RCW 29A.32.280 provides for the appointment of committees to prepare Voters' Pamphlet statements for and against such a proposition. Each committee is to be comprised of not more than three persons known to favor or oppose (as appropriate) the ballot proposition. The names of committee members are due to the Thurston County Auditor's office by August 7, 2012, in order to timely prepare the Voters' Pamphlet for the November 6, 2012, General Election. If the City cannot find individuals to be on the pro and con committees, the Thurston County Auditor will issue a media release to the public asking for committee members.
Process Selected by Council:
Council directed the City Manager to seek volunteers for the committees up to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 23, 2012. The names of the individuals who have volunteered for the committees will be brought to Council at its July 24, 2012 Council meeting. At the July 24th meeting, Council will decide on the makeup of the committees and those names are added to the attached resolution, and the resolution will be passed by Council that night.
If Council does not have sufficient names to fill a committee:
If Council is unable to identify three individuals for each committee by its July 24th meeting, Council can appoint some individuals and direct the City Manager to continue to seek volunteers for the committees up to the time required for the City to submit the committee appointments to the County. If there are more than three volunteers for either of the committees, the City Manager would be directed to use a random process and choose the remaining committee members by lot. Information concerning the selected committee members would then be transmitted to the County in a letter from the City Clerk. The letter would be accompanied by a resolution similar to the attached resolution. The resolution would need to have an additional "Section 3" that would direct the City Manager to use the random selection process to determine the remaining committee members.
Provide direction to staff on the individuals to be appointed to committees to prepare Voters' Pamphlet statements for and against the Criminal Justice Sales and Use Tax Proposition.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
A news release was issued on July 19 and posted on the City's website informing the community of the opportunity apply.
Financial Impact:
N/A