Tacoma voters in November have a chance to enact changes to the city’s constitution. The charter-review process happens once every 10 years, and the City Council recently agreed to send six proposed amendments to the November ballot.
The move hasn’t been without controversy.
Some residents have condemned the council for opting against advancing each of the 24 recommendations prepared by the Charter Review Committee.
Advocates particularly pushed for a proposal that would have changed Tacoma’s form of government , an idea popular among those who believe the city manager — an unelected position — has too much power and too little accountability. That proposal failed .
Other ideas that gained substantial support included the creation of an Office of Policing Accountability and a climate commission, as well as one that would open the door to ranked-choice voting . Each was referred to an alternate process or standing committee for “further study and evaluation,” per the city’s website.
The six advancing proposals , in a nutshell, would boost the minimum number of regular City Council meetings; remove the word “citizen” when describing a local resident, among other equitable-access concerns; allow the transfer and sale of city-owned waterfront property under certain circumstances; let council members employ personnel to advise and assist them; adjust the Planning Commission composition, such as increasing its membership from nine to 11; and expand future local leaders’ term limits from 10 years in a row to three consecutive terms (12 years).
A majority of council on Tuesday moved to transmit those amendments to the Pierce County Auditor’s Office, and they’ll appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. Council member Olgy Diaz voted against the resolution, and newly appointed Council member Sandesh Sadalge abstained.
A little historic context: The 2014 Charter Review Committee recommended 16 amendments, according to a PowerPoint presented in October to city officials. Twelve amendments were placed on the ballot, all but two of which passed.
Why are people upset with the City Council?
For months, some people have demanded that all 24 recommendations advance. Demonstrators who gathered ahead of the July 2 City Council meeting chanted: “Pass every recommendation; democracy across the nation.”
During the public-comment portion of the July 23 meeting, Sally Perkins said that officials had agreed to forward items that are “largely inconsequential.” Perkins argued such proposals are primarily council-focused rather than centered on the residents of Tacoma, and that council’s actions had sent a message of “disrespect and disdain” regarding the CRC’s efforts.
Latasha Palmer served on this year’s committee. She estimated that members spent more than 120 hours on whole-committee meetings, not to mention the time dedicated to subcommittees and at-home research. Palmer told The News Tribune it was frustrating to learn of the “heavily altered” recommendations headed to the ballot.
“We put a lot of effort and time into all of [the recommendations],” she said. “We wouldn’t have put them forward if we didn’t think that they were necessary or worthy of consideration.”
Mayor Victoria Woodards told The News Tribune that she’s proud of the work the committee accomplished. Still, Woodards said, it didn’t have the time to fully dig into certain legal or fiscal implications. One example: Some of the suggestions in the Office of Policing Accountability recommendation would have bypassed the bargaining process, which goes against state law.
Palmer noted that the city provided the committee with staff and legal support. Some members were lawyers and had legal training themselves, she said. It was also Palmer’s understanding that language could have been included in the charter that would have allowed a police-accountability office without violating any labor laws or the collective bargaining agreement.
Not everyone on the committee disapproved of how the council handled the process. Woodards referenced a letter from one member stating that the recommendations “were delivered for serious consideration, not simply your consent.”
Some people have been particularly invested in the charter review, but the City Council also had to consider how the suggestions would suit the city overall, Woodards said.
Placing 24 items on the ballot also could be far more expensive and lead to voter fatigue, she said.
Some of the suggestions could be accomplished via ordinance, Woodards continued, which would provide more flexibility to make adjustments down the line if needed.
“The things that got sent to committee didn’t go to committee to get studied and die,” the mayor said. “They went to committee to find a better way to get them implemented. Otherwise they wouldn’t have been voted on.”
Ann Dorn, an advocate who helped pass Tacoma’s tenants’ rights initiative , told The News Tribune that she’s angry with and disappointed in city leaders. The committee was council-appointed and brought experience and diverse perspectives to the table, she said.
Dorn referenced a charter review-focused town hall attended by some 100 people. She said it was clear that residents have been engaged and interested in the once-in-a-decade process.
The amendments moving forward aren’t the ones that Tacoma residents deeply wanted, Dorn said. The way she sees it, the CRC suggestions were carefully crafted and would make life better for working families, such as through the creation of an Office of Policing Accountability and a climate commission.
“Frankly, I view this as a failure of democracy,” Dorn said. “I think this is an absolute failure of the City Council and the mayor to listen to the people.”
She later added, “It’s a slap in the face.”
Woodards said that council would soon bring a companion resolution that would outline the recommendations sent to a different process, along with explanations and likely timelines. She understands that some people are upset that leaders didn’t approve each of the 24 proposals.
“All I can do is respect their feelings,” Woodards said, “and I hope they’ll respect our decisions.”
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