October 7, 2026

2026 Snohomish County Charter Review Amendment Voter Guide

VOTE “YES” ON ALL 5 SNOHOMISH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW AMENDMENTS

This November, Snohomish County voters will be asked to vote on five amendments to the county charter that have been submitted for their consideration by the 2026 Snohomish County Charter Review Commission.

At Future 42 Snohomish County, our mission is to turn frustration into action and empower citizens to build a stronger future. We believe government should be accountable, transparent, and focused on policies that make our county and state safer, more affordable, and a place where families and businesses can thrive. These five amendments, while mostly technical in nature, help to make Snohomish County government more efficient, transparent, and prepared for financial challenges that might arise in the future.

Snohomish County Charter Background

In 1979, the voters of Snohomish County approved a home-rule charter as the governing document for the county. This county charter restructured how county government in Snohomish County is organized. It moved the county from a three-member commission to a five-member council and established the office of County Executive. The new charter also gave structure to how laws are passed, and how the citizens expect their government to budget and spend their tax dollars. Part of this charter stipulates that every ten years, starting in 1985, voters will elect a fifteen-member Charter Review Commission to re-analyze the governing document and make recommendations for amendments to keep the document relevant.

In 2025, Snohomish County voters elected three Charter Review Commissioners from each of the five County Council districts. Of these fifteen elected commissioners, eleven of them were recruited by Project 42. From January to May of this year, the commission met and considered twenty-five different proposals for amendments to the county charter. These proposals came from commissioners, elected officials, and members of the public. At the end of May, the commission voted to send five of these proposals to the November ballot. The five proposals that were forwarded from the commission help to make county government more efficient, and responsive to residents. All five warrant a “YES” vote. Below are the five propositions that will be on your November ballot.

Proposition 1: Adoption of a Foundational Government Services Policy

Ballot text: The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has proposed an amendment to the county charter concerning a policy to provide for, and sustain, core public services. This proposition would require the county legislative and executive branches to prioritize and protect funding for the offices of County Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Executive, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, Treasurer, and the District and Superior Court Judges. This proposition would add a new section to Article 6 of the county charter.
Summary: This amendment would require that Snohomish County fund the basic services of county government as mandated by county and state law (law enforcement, judicial system, etc.) first before budgeting for discretionary programs or services.
Future 42 Position – Support: This amendment would help county leaders better prioritize what should be budgeted for during times of financial hardship and ensure that the most basic government services are fully funded before discretionary services or programs that aren’t essential to the function of government.

Proposition 2: Prioritize Funding of Budget Stabilization Funds

Ballot text: The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has proposed an amendment to the county charter concerning the prioritization of the county budget stabilization funds. This proposition would require the county legislative and executive branches to prioritize the funding of the county budget stabilization funds. The purpose of these funds is to help mitigate the impacts of catastrophic economic downturns and revenue shortfalls and provide resources for emergencies and catastrophic events. This proposition would add a new section to Article 6 of the county charter.
Summary: This amendment would require the county to prioritize the funding of a budget stabilization fund to help mitigate certain emergencies, natural disasters, or severe economic downturns as determined by the County Council. This fund would be housed in the County Treasurer’s office and require a 4/5 supermajority vote of the County Council in order to be spent.
Future 42 Position – Support: This amendment would put Snohomish County in a better position to remain financially stable during a catastrophe, or severe economic downturn.

Proposition 3: Converting All Elected County Offices to Non-partisan Offices

Ballot text: The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has proposed an amendment to the county charter concerning non-partisanship in all elected county offices. This proposition would require that all candidates for a Snohomish County elected office appear on the ballot without a political party designation and that all elected county offices be non-partisan offices. This proposition would amend Section 4.15 and Section 4.80 of the county charter.
Summary: This amendment would convert the offices of the five-member County Council, County Executive, and County Prosecutor from (currently) partisan to non-partisan offices. If passed, all county offices would be non-partisan, giving pro-business and pro-public safety candidates a better chance of success countywide. Many other counties and every city successfully utilize the nonpartisan model.
Future 42 Position – Support: Removing party affiliation from county offices would lower the temperature in local politics by recognizing that the issues addressed by county government are mostly nonpartisan in nature, and partisan politics have no role in how county government should function.

Proposition 4: Increasing Public Access to County Financial Transparency

Ballot text: The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has proposed an amendment to the county charter concerning the availability of public access to county financial information. This proposition would add a new section to Article 6 of the Snohomish County charter. This proposition requires Snohomish to make available, where reasonably practicable, through county existing systems or future modernization efforts, all financial information legally available.
Summary: This amendment would require Snohomish County to provide financial information and data such as grant award recipients, audit information, etc. to the public via an online database.
Future 42 Position – Support: This amendment would provide Snohomish County citizens with an increased amount of information on the financial decisions the county makes. The more information the citizens can have about their government’s spending, the better.

Proposition 5: Requiring a 4/5 Supermajority Council Vote to Increase Taxes

Ballot text: The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission has proposed an amendment to the county charter concerning the approval of tax increases by the County Council. This proposition would require a 4/5 supermajority council vote to assess levy, or increase any councilmanic tax. This proposition would amend Section 2.20 of the county charter.
Summary: This amendment would require a 4/5 supermajority vote of the County Council to raise taxes. Currently it takes a 3/5 vote of the County Council to raise taxes; this would require a 4/5 vote. Alternatively, the Council could send tax proposals to the voters for approval.
Future 42 Position – Support: This amendment would ensure that tax increases at the county level are passed only with broad consensus. Additionally, it gives the County Council more incentive to have the voters weigh in on potential tax increases.

Charter Review Commissioners Rob Toyer, Don Vanney, Mark James, Shawn O’Donnell, Janelle Cass, David Preston, Patrick Decker, Dale Kaemingk, Ben Mahnkey, Carolyn Eslick, and Brett Gailey deserve tremendous credit for crafting these five amendments and resisting calls to forward amendments that would have altered the function of county government in a negative way or created bigger and more bloated government. These declined proposals included instituting ranked-choice voting, expanding the county council, and creating more partisan elected offices. Stopping bad ideas is an equally important part of being a Charter Review Commission as advancing good ones. Additionally, Snohomish County Treasurer Brian Sullivan deserves credit as the author of Propositions 1 and 2 that focus on county budgeting. Treasurer Sullivan worked across party lines to ensure these common-sense proposals made it to the ballot.

These five propositions will be on your General Election ballot in November, and we encourage you to vote YES on all five for a more effective and responsive county government that spends your tax dollars wisely!

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