Tag Archives: Sammamish initiative

Klahanie could lose Initiative right in Sammamish annexation

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The Klahanie Potential Annexation Area could lose its right to Initiative and Referendum if it annexes to Sammamish.

As part of unincorporated King County, the 10,000-plus residents in the PAA currently have the right. Sammamish residents do not.

The Klahanie PAA will vote April 28 whether to annex to Sammamish. If approved, the City Council hopes to make the annexation effective in August.

Sammamish residents vote April 28 in an Advisory vote (which means the City Council can affirm or reject the advice) whether the City should adopt the right of Initiative/Referendum. But the vote has no force of law.

So Klahanie PAA residents could very well come into Sammamish without this right.

Should Sammamish have the right to Initiative and Referendum?

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Ballots are arriving this week with an Advisory Vote asking Sammamish residents whether they want the right of Initiative and Referendum.

See these previous posts for background.

Vote Yes for Initiative/Referendum

Campaign for Initiative/Referendum kicked off

Council sets Advisory Vote for Initiative/Referendum

The Sammamish Review weighed in:

Time has come for Initiative/Referendum

A 5-2 majority of the Sammamish City Council doesn’t want our citizens to have this right. Ramiro Valderrama and Nancy Whitten favor the right of initiative/referendum.

Here’s an unscientific poll: Do you want it or not?

We’ll report the results in the not-too-distant future.

Harry Shedd, chairman of Citizens for Sammamish, is the principal driver behind the Initiative/Referendum.

Sammamish Initiative/Referendum campaign kicks off amid charges of stolen signs, attempts to ban Citizen group from city facilities

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The Yes campaign for Sammamish voters to approve an advisory vote April 28 to give them the right to Initiative and Referendum was kicked off last night (Feb. 23) amid charges that Yes vote road signs are already being stolen.

Citizens for Sammamish, which is behind the Initiative/Referendum movement, also charged that Deputy Mayor Kathy Huckabay, who is opposed to granting the right, attempted to block usage by CFS of the Eastside Fire & Rescue fire station on Sahalee Way, where it usually meets, and the Boys and Girls Club, where last night’s meeting was held, because CFS is now “campaigning” for the the Yes vote.

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Election year for Sammamish: key dates ahead

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Update, 9:05pm: The Klahanie annexation decision was ratified on a 6-0 vote, with Whitten absent. The Initiative/Referendum advisory vote was ratified on a 5-1 vote with Odell opposed and Whitten absent.

Original Post:

Feb. 3, 2015: This is an election year for Sammamish. There are three key election dates: April 28, Aug. 4 and Nov. 3.

April 28

At the City Council meeting tonight, officials are expected to ratify action agreed to at the Retreat last month setting April 28 as the special election for: Continue reading →

Sammamish to send Initiative/Referendum to citizens for advisory vote-Part 2

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Jan. 24, 2015: The Sammamish City Council agreed at its retreat today at the Suncadia Resort in Roslyn (WA) to ask its citizens whether the right to initiative and referendum should be adopted by the City.

The Council will formalize its consensus approval at the Feb. 3 City Council meeting. No formal, legally binding action could be taken at the retreat, including appointments of Council representation to regional committees.

The advocacy group Citizens for Sammamish (CFS) has been pressing the City Council to adopt an ordinance granting the right. Council members have been reluctant to approve the initiative/referendum process because of what they view how the state process became abused by Tim Eyman, who makes a living at filing state initiatives; and the increasing dominance by “big money” interests rather than the original intent of power to the people.

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