Metropolitan King County Council | |
---|---|
King County, Washington | |
![]() | |
Type | |
Type | of the King County, WA |
Leadership | |
Chairperson | |
Vice Chair | Dave Upthegrove (D) |
Vice Chair | Girmay Zahilay (D) |
Structure | |
Seats | 9 |
![]() | |
Political groups | Officially nonpartisan Democratic Party (7) Republican Party (2) |
Committees | List of Committees
|
Length of term | 4 years |
Elections | |
Last election | November 7, 2023 |
Meeting place | |
1200 King County Courthouse 516 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98104 | |
Website | |
King County Council |
The Metropolitan King County Council , the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is the result of a merger of King County and the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, better known as Metro, which was a federated county-city structure responsible for water quality and public transportation.
As a result of a County Charter amendment passed by voters in the November 2008 elections, all elective offices of King County are officially nonpartisan; that being said, all current council members have made their party affiliations a matter of public record. [1] [ better source needed ]
The full county council meets weekly on Thursdays, except for the fifth Thursday in a month. Public comments are permitted at the fourth meeting of the month. Meetings are held in the County Council chambers, Room 1001, on the tenth floor of the King County Courthouse in Downtown Seattle. [7]
The nine members of the council are elected by their district to four-year terms in nonpartisan contests. Councilmembers in even numbered districts are up for election in 2023, while Councilmembers in odd districts are up for election in 2025. [8] Prior to 2009, councilmembers were elected on a partisan basis, and had to declare their political party unless they filed as an Independent. An independent candidate had to receive at least 20 percent of the vote in the primary election to qualify for the general election ballot.[ citation needed ] This changed upon the passage of Charter Amendment 8 by voters in 2008, which made all elections for county offices nonpartisan. [9]
The Council uses its committee structure to consider the legislation before it. Ordinances and motions (policy statements) are assigned to a King County Council committee for consideration, and then are recommended to the full Council for action. Each year, the Council reorganizes and elects a Chair and Vice Chair. In addition, the Council decides yearly on its committee structure and makeup. Currently there are nine standing policy committees and three regional committees. Members of the Seattle City Council and representatives from suburban cities and local sewer districts are also members of the regional committees. In addition, all nine members of the Council meet as a Committee of the Whole to discuss broad-reaching legislation and issues.
The King County Executive is not a member of the Council, and is a separately elected official. The Executive submits legislation to the Council for consideration. Each year in October, the Executive submits a proposed budget to the County Council for the operation of County government for the coming year. The Executive has veto power over ordinances passed by the Council.
In the 2004 general election voters approved a charter amendment to reduce the size of the council from thirteen to nine, which went into effect January 1, 2006. With four fewer districts, the number of constituents per district rose from 138,000 residents to about 193,000. [10]
District | Councilmember | Political party [lower-alpha 1] | Term start | Term end |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tracy Owen | Republican | 1969 | 1981 |
2 | Bob Dunn | Republican | 1969 | 1979 |
3 | Bill Reams | Republican | 1969 | 1989 |
4 | Bernice Stern | Democratic | 1969 | 1980 |
5 | John O'Brien | Republican | 1969 | 1973 |
6 | Tom Forsythe | Republican | 1969 | 1975 |
7 | Ed Munro | Democratic | 1969 | 1973 |
8 | Ed Heavey | Democratic | 1969 | 1975 |
9 | Dave Mooney | Democratic | 1969 | 1976 |
5 | Ruby Chow | Democratic | 1974 | 1985 |
7 | Paul Barden | Republican | 1974 | 1993 |
6 | Mike Lowry | Democratic | 1976 | 1979 |
8 | Bob Greive | Democratic | 1976 | 1987 |
9 | Bob Gaines | Democratic | 1977 | 1977 |
6 | Pat Thorpe | Democratic | 1979 | 1979 |
2 | Scott Blair | Republican | 1980 | 1983 |
4 | Lois North | Republican | 1980 | 1992 |
6 | Bruce Laing | Republican | 1980 | 1996 |
1 | Audrey Gruger | Democratic | 1982 | 1993 |
2 | Cynthia Sullivan | Democratic | 1984 | 2003 |
5 | Ron Sims | Democratic | 1986 | 1997 |
8 | Greg Nickels | Democratic | 1988 | 2001 |
3 | Brian Derdowski | Republican | 1990 | 1999 |
9 | Kent Pullen | Republican | 1990 | 2003 |
4 | Larry Phillips | Democratic | 1992 | 2015 |
1 | Maggie Fimia | Democratic | 1994 | 2001 |
3 | Louise Miller | Republican | 1994 | 2001 |
10 | Larry Gossett | Democratic | 1994 | 2019 |
11 | Jane Hague | Republican | 1994 | 2015 |
13 | Chris Vance | Republican | 1994 | 2001 |
6 | Rob McKenna | Republican | 1996 | 2005 |
5 | Dwight Pelz | Democratic | 1997 | 2005 |
12 | David Irons | Republican | 2000 | 2005 |
13 | Les Thomas | Republican | 2001 | 2001 |
1 | Carolyn Edmonds | Democratic | 2002 | 2005 |
3 | Kathy Lambert | Republican | 2002 | 2021 |
13 | Julia Patterson | Democratic | 2002 | 2013 |
8 | Dow Constantine | Democratic | 2002 | 2009 |
9 | Steve Hammond | Republican | 2003 | 2005 |
2 | Bob Ferguson | Democratic | 2004 | 2013 |
8 | Jan Drago | Democratic | 2010 | 2010 |
8 | Joe McDermott | Democratic | 2011 | 2024 |
4 | Jeanne Kohl-Welles | Democratic | 2016 | 2024 |
The Los Angeles City Council is the lawmaking body for the city government of Los Angeles, California, the second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council districts that are spread throughout the city's 501 square miles of land.
The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-large positions; all elections are non-partisan. It has the sole responsibility of approving the city's budget, and develops laws and policies intended to promote the health and safety of Seattle's residents. The Council passes all legislation related to the city's police, firefighting, parks, libraries, and electricity, water supply, solid waste, and drainage utilities. (The mayor of Seattle is not considered part of council.)
David Upthegrove is an American politician. He is a member of the King County Council, representing the 5th district since 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 33rd district from 2002 to 2013.
Jeanne Elizabeth Pearl Kohl-Welles is an American politician and academic. She was a member of the King County Council from the 4th district from 2016 to 2024. She previously served as a member of the Washington State Senate from 1994 to 2015 and the Washington House of Representatives from 1992 to 1994.
Peter G. von Reichbauer is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the nonpartisan King County Council, representing District 7, a 124-square-mile (320 km2) region of South King County which includes all of the cities of Algona and Federal Way, the entire King County portions of Auburn, Milton, and Pacific and large unincorporated areas. Prior to his election to the council, von Reichbauer served as a Washington State Senator for the 30th Legislative District between 1973 and 1994.
Robert Watson Ferguson is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 18th attorney general of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020. Prior to serving as attorney general, Ferguson was a member of the King County Council.
Reagan Blackburn Dunn is an American politician and lawyer who is a member of the nonpartisan King County Council, representing District 9 in Southeast King County, Washington. District 9 includes the cities of Bellevue, Newcastle, Renton, Maple Valley, Covington, Black Diamond, and Enumclaw, as well as large unincorporated areas.
Joseph Frederick Fain is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as a member of the Washington State Senate for the 47th district from 2011 to 2019. Fain was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. Fain served as the Senate minority floor leader during the 2018 legislative session.
Teresa Carmen Mosqueda is an American politician and labor activist from Seattle, Washington. She is a member of the King County Council and has represented District 8 since 2024. Mosqueda was previously a member of the Seattle City Council from 2017 to 2023, in at-large position 8.
Debora Juarez is an American lawyer and politician who served as the president of the Seattle City Council. She was first elected in 2015 to represent the 5th district. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, she was the first Native American person elected to the council.
Robert M. Johnson is an American politician. He served on the Seattle City Council representing the fourth district, covering northeast Seattle and the area around the University of Washington, from 2016 until his resignation in April 2019.
The Snohomish County Council is the legislative body of Snohomish County, Washington. The county council was created in 1979 and consists of five members serving four-year terms.
The Whatcom County Council, the legislative body of Whatcom County, Washington, consists of seven members, five elected by district and two elected at large. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget.
Girmay Hadish Zahilay is an American politician and lawyer who is a member of the King County Council from District 2 in Seattle, Washington. He was elected in 2019, defeating longtime incumbent Larry Gossett.
Daniel Aaron Strauss is an American politician who serves on the Seattle City Council from District 6. A native of Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, he previously worked as an aide to local politicians, including Seattle councilmember Sally Bagshaw.
The 2021 Seattle mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the Mayor of Seattle. It was won by former Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell, who defeated then-current President Lorena González; both candidates had advanced from a nonpartisan primary election on August 3.
The 2021 Seattle City Council election were held on November 2, 2021. Two seats of the nine-member Seattle City Council were up for election.
The 2021 Seattle City Attorney election was held on November 2, 2021. Incumbent City Attorney Pete Holmes sought reelection to a fourth term in office, but came third place in the officially nonpartisan August 3 primary election and failed to advance to the general election, with both Nicole Thomas-Kennedy and Ann Davison finishing ahead of Holmes in the primary. Davison defeated Thomas-Kennedy in the general election.
Sara E. Nelson is an American businesswoman and politician serving as a member of the Seattle City Council from Position 9. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Nikkita Oliver in the 2021 election. On January 2, 2024, the city council voted unanimously to appoint her City Council President upon the retirement of Debora Juarez.
Jorge L. Barón is a Colombian-American politician, attorney, and former actor. He has been a member of the King County Council in Washington since 2024, representing District 4.