Four of Sammamish’s seven city council members said they will support giving the right of Initiative and Referendum to voters following approval in the Advisory Ballot last Tuesday. The council has to adopt an ordinance before citizens obtain the right.

Members Valderrama and Whitten previously declared support for the I&R. Don Gerend and Bob Keller told Sammamish Comment Friday they will support the I&R now. The measure passed with about 55.4% of the vote. Ballots are still being counted and the election won’t be certified until May 12. Ballots continue to trickle in and the outcome won’t change materially from the election night on April 28.

Council Member Tom Odell could not be reached over the weekend. Mayor Tom Vance and Deputy Mayor Kathy Huckabay did not respond to an email asking their position.

Valderrama and Whitten openly supported adoption of the Initiative and Referendum. Four other members–Gerend, Keller, Vance and Huckabay–previously opposed the I&R but joined Valderrama and Whitten in putting it to an Advisory vote. Member Tom Odell voted against even sending the issue to the voters.

Before the election, other than Valderrama and Whitten, who supported the I&R, Gerend, Keller and Odell took no position whether they would support the I&R if voters passed the Advisory vote. Vance and Huckabay did not respond to Sammamish Comment’s inquiry on this.

Huckabay wrote planning commissioner Frank Blau in an email she was taking a neutral position but immediately surreptitiously began leading an effort in opposition. Odell filed a complaint against Citizens for Sammamish with the state Public Disclosure Commission over failure to file documents, and reported back to Vance and Huckabay on the complaint’s status.

Vance, Valderrama and Whitten are up for election in November. Vance and Valderrama announced they will run for reelection; Whitten has not revealed her intentions. Newcomer Christie Malchow previously announced she is running but has not said whose seat she will be seeking.