A signed petition was turned in at City Hall with an estimated 150 “unverified” voter signatures to add to ballot on whether to change Clyde Hill’s form of government. Will City Council vote on June 28th on resolution to “fast-track” to November 2022 ballot? If resolution fails to pass on June 28th and signatures are verified through King County Elections it may be placed on November 2023 ballot.
Background-Petition to Change Form of Government
Now a “petition” to change the form of Clyde Hill City Government.
URGENT: To Voters and Residents of Clyde Hill;
Your rights are being stripped from you to vote for your Clyde Hill Mayor. Clyde Hill has had its form of Government for nearly 69 years, since 1953, a mayor-council form or strong mayor. Some Clyde Hill residents and even City Council members have been angry with City’s administrations code enforcement on their properties and having to abide by the same Laws and Codes residents are all held to. These individuals, a select few, want control and power at your expense. They propose to change our government to a city-manager form of government where the Council hires, and can fire, the City Manager, and the Mayor is just a Council Member, elected by the Council, to perform mostly ministerial duties with no real power. The Council would elect the Mayor. The Council would hire, and could fire, the City Manager. You would lose your right to elect a person – a Mayor — who actually had any power over or ability to disagree with the City Council. Changing the form of Clyde Hill Government will eliminate the “separation of powers” from the legislative branch and give all power to the City Council.
Some City Council members have serious conflicts of interest and are trying to change the laws and codes for their own personal benefit. This change of form of government would give those Council members more control over the people who enforce the laws and codes and would allow pressure to enforce those laws and codes in a way that benefits these selected few.
Costs to the Taxpayers could be $500,000 to change our form of City government while removing your right to vote for a Clyde Hill Mayor. More than 80% of Washington State municipalities have the form of Government Clyde Hill has, where residents can vote for a mayor and there is “separation of power” to prevent conflicts and corruption with City Council Members.
Here is an explanation from long-standing retired council member Bruce Dodds, who served our great little City for 16 years as a City Councilmember;
May 29, 2022
To Clyde Hill Voters:
I have become aware there is a petition going around asking Clyde Hill voters to sign on to vote to change the form of our City government from its current “mayor-council” form (which has been in effect and worked exceptionally well since 1953) to a “council-manager” form where the mayor is elected by the city council instead of by Clyde Hill voters . Do not sign this petition if you are asked to do so. If the petition happens to acquire sufficient signatures to be placed on the ballot, do not vote for this change. Several individuals in city government with self-serving interests have issues with the mayors’ and current city administrator’s decisions which properly enforced city codes relating to these individuals requests.
Changing Clyde Hill’s government to the council-manager form would provide these individuals greater control over appointment of city employees and assignments to committees and commissions which is now, and has always been since the city’s incorporation, the mayor’s sole authority and responsibility. Individual self-serving interests are never a valid basis for altering the form of city government. Signing this petition and/or voting for this change to our form of government would be an absolute disaster for every one of us. Please do not become complicit in this self-serving power play.
You are welcome and encouraged to forward this email to other Clyde Hill voters you may know to assure they are informed.
Bruce J. Dodds, retired city council person