Tacoma City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee will meet this week to interview 14 people who have applied to serve on the City of Tacoma’s Charter Review Committee.
According to City of Tacoma staff, the existing city charter was adopted in 1953 and comprehensive reviews must be conducted at least once every 10 years. Tacoma voters approve or reject any recommended changes to the city’s charter. The charter was last reviewed in 2004. At that time, the committee recommended 23 charter changes, councilmembers pared that list down to 11 proposed changes, and voters approved all the changes.
The charter, Tacoma’s governing document, is up for review next year. Last month, Tacoma City Council adopted a resolution to begin the process of creating the committee, which will be tasked with making recommendations for changes to the charter and submitting those recommendations to Tacoma City Council by Tues., May 6, 2014. The Mayor and each Tacoma City Councilmember will each recommend one individual for appointment. Tacoma City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee will recommend an additional six members.
The individuals who have applied to serve on the 15-member Charter Review Committee include:
- Therese Baker (District 2)
- Gary Brackett (District 4)
- Susan Eidenschink (District 2)
- Laura Fox (District 2)
- Eric Hahn (District 2)
- Charles Horne (District 4)
- Mark Martinez (District 5)
- Connor McCarthy (District 1)
- Kenneth Miller (District 2)
- Lita Monaghan (District 2)
- Dan Rahe (District 2)
- Rick Shanaman (District 2)
- Paula Wallace-Lonergan (District 1)
- Scott Winship (District 1)
The City of Tacoma accepted applications until Weds., Dec. 4.
During the meeting this week, Tacoma City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee will interview the candidates and may make a motion to submit to Tacoma City Council a list of six applicants recommended for appointment to the Charter Review Committee. Tacoma City Council is expected to make final Charter Review Committee appointments on Tues., Jan. 7, 2014.
This week’s committee meeting to interview candidates will be held on Weds., Dec. 18, at 4:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market St., Conference Room 16, in downtown Tacoma. A copy of the agenda is available online here.
More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org/citycharter.
To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of Tacoma’s charter review, click on the following links:
- Tacoma City Council to discuss District 1 candidate interviews, Jefferson Avenue alignment (Tacoma Daily Index, December 13, 2013)
- Tacoma City Council OKs Foss Waterway Development Authority appointments, charter review process (Tacoma Daily Index, November 13, 2013)
- Tacoma City Council to discuss charter review, Link light rail expansion (Tacoma Daily Index, November 8, 2013)
- Tacoma City Council to discuss City Charter review process (Tacoma Daily Index, August 19, 2013)
- Council calls for the election of Charter Review commissioners (Tacoma Daily Index, May 18, 2005)
- Vote ‘No’ on Proposition 2 (Tacoma Daily Index, October 26, 2004)
- My Two Cents: Full printing of ordinances in city’s best interests (Tacoma Daily Index, May 3, 2004)
- Recommendations from Charter Review Committee at tonight’s public hearing (Tacoma Daily Index, April 29, 2004)
- Charter Review Committee on track (Tacoma Daily Index, March 24, 2004)
- Group again pushing for city government change (Tacoma Daily Index, February 26, 2004)
- Charter Review Committee seeks public input (Tacoma Daily Index, February 25, 2004)
- Citizens wanted for Charter Review Committee (Tacoma Daily Index, August 15, 2003)
- Council to consider city charter review (Tacoma Daily Index, August 8, 2003)
