By Miki Mullor
Editor
King County Council today unanimously voted to appoint former Council Member Pam Stuart to Ken Gamblin’s vacant city council seat. Gamblin resigned in January. The City Council had 90 days to appoint a Sammamish resident to fill his vacant seat. However, because the 6 members of the city council couldn’t agree on who to appoint, by state law, the responsibility became King County council’s.
Stuart will serve on the city council until December 2023.
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The final results for the Nov. 5 election for Sammamish City Council have been certified by King County Elections.
There is no change in the outcome. Percentages compared with election night varied between 1 ½% to 2 ½%, the historic norm since Sammamish Comment has been following the elections from 1999.
On the third day of ballot returns by King County Elections, the vote leads of Sammamish City Council candidates Christie Malchow, Kent Treen and Ken Gamblin continue to widen over challengers Karen McKnight, Karen Howe and Rituja Indapure.
Through Thursday, 19,520 ballots were returned by Sammamish voters. This represents, so far, a 52.2% turnout, the heaviest in city history for an off-year, city council election. Turnout normally is between 35%-45%.
Election results from Day 2 of the Sammamish City Council race saw the winners from election night widen their leads in vote totals, even if the percentages were shaved fractionally.
Incumbent Christie Malchow ended election night with a 2,985 vote lead over challenger Karen McKnight. Today, this vote lead increased to 3,259. The percentage narrowed slightly from 66.35% to 65.83%.
By Scott Hamilton
Accusations flew between the two factions of the Sammamish City Council as it considered whether to drop committees in favor of a council Committee of the Whole or some hybrid system.
Motives were questioned, personal attacks flew and “blind ambition” was alleged as interfering with the work of the committees.
Two members claimed the body is a “do-nothing” council.
The meeting again illustrated the dysfunction and political rivalries between the majority and minority factions.
Sammamish Comment 