PORT TOWNSEND – Organizers of a movement to force a vote on the city’s council-manager form of government expect to deliver signatures on a petition to the county auditor next week.
“I’ll tell you this. It’s going on the ballot in November, whether they like it or not,” petition-drive leader John Sheen said.
The petition calls for an election to decide between keeping Port Townsend’s existing council-manager form of government or reverting to the city’s original mayor-council form.
Sheehan, who owns a hot dog stand across the street from City Hall, said he hopes to turn in the state-required 455 petition signatures of registered voters to county Auditor Donna Eldridge by Tuesday, but that it could be later next week.
The number is 10 percent of the city’s registered voters.
Sheehan said that, as of Thursday, the drive had 465 signatures in hand.
“I want to make sure that we have at least 500 valid signatures,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan, who said he has always opposed the council-manager form of government, contends that the current form of government is too expensive and that the city does not need a city manager.
In a mayor-council form of government, an elected mayor serves as the city’s chief administrative officer while the City Council serves as the municipality’s legislative body.
While the council has the power to formulate and adopt city policies, the mayor is responsible for carrying them out, according to the state Municipal Resource and Services Center, www.mrsc.org/.
The mayor presides over council meetings, but does not vote on council business, except in the case of a tie-breaker.
