Title
AN ORDINANCE proposing to amend Section 800 of the King County Charter, to establish a process and signature threshold for amendments to the King County Charter by citizen initiative; and submitting the same to the voters of the county for their ratification or rejection at the November 2008 general election.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. There shall be submitted to the voters of King County for their approval and ratification or rejection, at the next general election to be held in this county occurring more than forty-five days after the enactment of this ordinance, an amendment to Section 800 of the King County Charter as set forth herein:
Section 800. Charter Review and Amendments.
800.10. Charter Review and Amendment.
At least every ten years after the adoption of this charter, the county executive shall appoint a citizen commission of not less than fifteen members whose mandate shall be to review the charter and present, or cause to be presented, to the county council a written report recommending those amendments, if any, which should be made to the charter. This citizen commission shall be composed of at least one representative from each of the county council districts. The county council may propose amendments to this charter by enacting an ordinance to submit a proposed amendment to the voters of the county at the next general election occurring more than forty-five days after the enactment of the ordinance. An ordinance proposing an amendment to the charter shall not be subject to the veto power of the county executive. Publication of a proposed amendment and notice of its submission to the voters of the county shall be made in accordance with the state constitution and general law. If the proposed amendment is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the issue, it shall become effective ten days after the results of the election are certified unless a later date is specified in the amendment.
800.20. Charter Amendments by Citizen Initiative.
Citizens of the county may propose an amendment to the charter by filing initiative petitions with the county council bearing a number of signatures of registered voters of the county equal to or greater than twenty percent of the votes cast for the office of county executive at the last preceding election for county executive. The petitions shall contain the full text of the proposed charter amendment. Publication of a proposed amendment and notice of its submission to the voters shall be made in accordance with the state constitution and general law. Submittal to the voters shall occur at the next general election occurring more than one hundred thirty-five days after the petitions are filed. Within ninety days after the petitions are filed, the county council may enact an ordinance to submit a substitute charter amendment concerning the same subject matter on the same ballot with the proposed amendment; and the voters shall first be given the choice of accepting either or rejecting both and shall then be given the choice of accepting one and rejecting the other. If a majority of the voters voting on the first issue is for either, then the version receiving the majority of the votes cast on the second issue shall be deemed approved. If a majority of those voting on the first issue is for rejecting both, then neither version approved regardless of the vote on the second issue. Any amendment that is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the issue becomes effective ten days after the results of the election are certified unless a later date is specified in the amendment.
SECTION 3. The clerk of the council shall certify the proposition to the manager of the elections division, in substantially the following form, with such additions, deletions or modifications as may be required by the prosecuting attorney:
Shall the King County Charter Section 800 be amended to establish a process
process and signature threshold for amendments to the King County Charter by citizen initiative?