Ballot Issues Committee

The Municipal League of King County's Ballot Issues Committee (BIC) examines many the often complex measures that face the voters on election day, and offers well-reasoned analyses and recommendations to help guide voters at the ballot box. Term limits, the Metro/King County merger, the construction of new jails, and local levies for a number of purposes are but a few of the difficult issues the Ballot Issues Committee has recently studied. This year, the committee was organized into three sub-committees. These sub-committees examined the King County Recreation and Conservation Legacy proposal which appeared on the September Primary Election ballot, and the proposal to change the King County Sheriff from an appointed to an elected position (King County Proposition No. 2) and the Regional Transit Authority's 10-year "Sound Move" proposal, both on the General Election ballot and reported in this Candidate Evaluation and Ballot Issues Report.

Members of the Ballot Issues Committee include Municipal League Trustees, League members, and other interested citizens. The committee is structured to be balanced and representative. As with the Candidate Evaluation Committees, volunteers serving on the BIC commit to an affirmation to be fair, to avoid active involvement in support or opposition to issues they evaluate, to advise the BIC Chair of any conflict or appearance of conflict of interest, and to attend committee meetings.

Issues to be studied by the BIC are first approved by the Board of Trustees. Of particular interest are measures which have been studied by and reported on by the Capital Finance Review Board and/or which directly and significantly impact the mission, structure or powers of local government.

In studying an issue, the Ballot Issues Committee may invite representatives from supporting and opposing campaigns to provide information and answer questions, making a reasonable effort to meet with both sides of a campaign. The committee may also seek out additional information from other sources, depending on the topic being examined. Sources of information may include press coverage, materials and analyses prepared by other organizations, independent research by BIC members, and/or Public Disclosure Commission reports on major contributors to campaigns. The BIC also invites comments from Board members who have particular or special knowledge regarding an issue.

The Ballot Issues Committee prepares a report for each issue studied, including a recommendation to the Board that the League support, oppose, or not take a position on the issue.

The Board of Trustees reviews the committee's report(s), and meets with BIC representatives before making a decision whether to approve or disapprove the committee's recommended position. The Board also approves the final wording of the report that is released to the public.

1996 General Election Candidate Evaluation & Ballot Issues Report
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