The City of Washougal will have two propositions on the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election ballot:
Proposition 9
Proposition 9 allows voters to decide whether to directly elect the Mayor every four years, or, to continue to have the Council select one member of the Council as Mayor every two years. This proposition does not affect the City’s current form of government nor the role of the Mayor – it only affects how the Mayor is selected. In either scenario, the Mayor is a voting member of the Council.
In the May 2018 resolution that placed Proposition 8 on the November 2018 ballot, re: changing the City’s form of government from Mayor-Council to Council-Manager, the Council indicated that if Proposition 8 passed they would place a subsequent proposition on a ballot asking if voters want to directly elect the Mayor every four years, or, stick with the default method of selecting the Mayor wherein the Council selects one member of the Council as Mayor every two years. This is the subject of Proposition 9.
If a majority votes yes, Council Position No. 1 will be designated as the Mayor position and will be elected at-large to a four-year term beginning with the November 2021 election. If a majority votes no, Council will continue to select one member of the Council as Mayor every two years. No matter the outcome of the vote, the role of the Mayor is unchanged.
The Proposition 9 Fact Sheet can be found at cityofwashougal.us/Proposition9.
Proposition 10
Proposition 10 asks voters to replace the expiring ten cents ($.10) per $1,000 of assessed valuation Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift. The most recent Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift expires at the end of 2020. The proposition would authorize the City to assess the Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift for six years (2021–2026). The combination of the current expiring Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift and the Replacement Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift is estimated to add an additional cost of $12 annually for a home valued at $400K, or $1.00/month.
The Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift is a dedicated source of funding used for the provision of fire and emergency medical services in Washougal. The Camas-Washougal Fire Department experienced a 66% increase in Fire/EMS calls between 2010 and 2019. Replacing the expiring Fire/EMS Levy Lid Lift provides dedicated funding to maintain Washougal’s current level of fire and emergency medical services.
The Proposition 10 Fact Sheet can be found at cityofwashougal.us/Proposition10.
Voter Registration, Ballots, and Election Drop Box
Citizens can register to vote at https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx. Voters in Clark County do not need to request a mail-in ballot to vote in the upcoming general election. If they are registered to vote, a ballot will be mailed as in prior elections.
Ballots will be mailed Oct. 16. Please expect them to arrive in your mailbox no later than Oct. 21. Starting Oct. 27, only in-person registrations are allowed to register and receive a ballot for the November 3 General Election.
There is a 24 Hour Ballot Drop Box located at the Washougal Library (1661 C Street, Washougal, WA 98671). This drop box is open 18 days prior to each election (walk-up only) and is open 24 hours daily until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Contact:
David Scott, City Manager
David.Scott@cityofwashougal.us
360.835.8501 ext. 102
Michele Loftus, Communications Specialist
Michele.Loftus@cityofwashougal.us
360.835.8501 ext. 510