Q: When and where is tonight’s Snohomish County Charter Review public hearing?
A: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. at Arlington City Hall, 238 N. Olympia Avenue, Arlington. Press coverage identifies Proposals 5 (nonpartisan county offices) and 21 (supermajority for tax increases) as the specific focus tonight. Two more hearings follow on May 20 in Monroe and May 27 in Mountlake Terrace. Final commission vote is May 29, then proposals advance toward the November 2026 ballot.
If you have ever wanted to weigh in on how Snohomish County government actually works — who runs it, how taxes get raised, and how budgets get passed — tonight is the night to do it in person. The 2026 Snohomish County Charter Review Commission holds the first of three scheduled public hearings at 5:30 p.m. tonight at Arlington City Hall, 238 N. Olympia Avenue. Two of the five proposals the commission has advanced are specifically on tonight’s published agenda.
Here is what changes if either or both pass in November.
Proposal 5 would make the offices of County Executive, County Council, and County Prosecutor nonpartisan. Candidates would no longer run with a “D” or “R” next to their name. They would file the way school board members or judges file — without party affiliation appearing on the ballot.
Proposal 21 would change how the County Council raises taxes. Today a tax increase needs a simple majority. Proposal 21 would require four out of five votes on the County Council — a supermajority. In practice, that means a single “no” vote could block a tax increase even if a majority of council members support it.
Both proposals have been in committee for months. Tonight is the first chance for residents who do not sit on the commission to walk up to a microphone and say what they think — on the record, in front of the people drafting the November ballot language.
What the Commission Is Doing and Why Tonight Matters
The Snohomish County Charter is the founding governance document of the county — its constitution. The charter requires its own review every ten years by a commission of fifteen volunteer members elected by Snohomish County voters. The 2026 commission was elected in November 2025 and has been meeting since January.
Whatever the commission finalizes by its May 29 deadline goes to the Snohomish County Council, which holds its own public hearings, and then the proposals advance to the November 2026 general election ballot. If a majority of Snohomish County voters approves a proposal in November, the charter changes. (For a deeper voter’s guide to all five proposals, see What the Charter Review Means for Everett Residents.) The next regular review will not happen until 2036.
That ten-year cadence is why these hearings matter beyond the immediate question on the page. Whatever passes — or does not — in November shapes how the county is governed for a decade.
Chair Brett Gailey (District 5) and Vice Chair Mark James (District 1) lead the commission. Peter Condyles is the commission coordinator and the primary public contact for written comments.
About the Proposal-to-Hearing Pairing
Coverage of tonight’s hearing in My Edmonds News, Lynnwood Times, and MLTnews identifies the Arlington hearing as specifically focused on Proposals 5 and 21. The commission’s own page at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520 lists three hearing dates without pairing each hearing to specific proposals.
The practical takeaway: testimony on Proposals 5 and 21 is what the commission has scheduled to hear tonight, but written comments on any of the five proposals are appropriate ahead of the May 29 deadline.
Proposal 5: What Nonpartisan Offices Would Look Like
Today, candidates for Snohomish County Executive, County Council, and County Prosecutor run partisan campaigns. The party label appears on the ballot. The state’s August primary narrows the field to two candidates per office, who then compete in November.
Under Proposal 5, those same offices would run nonpartisan, similar to how school board, judicial, and most city council seats already work in Washington State. Candidates would still go through the primary, and the top two would still advance to November. But the “D” or “R” would not appear next to their name.
Supporters’ argument: Local government decisions — fixing roads, hiring sheriff’s deputies, managing the county budget — are not inherently partisan. Removing the party label encourages voters to look at the actual candidate rather than the team jersey. Cities, school boards, and the courts have used nonpartisan elections successfully for decades.
Opponents’ argument: Party labels give voters useful information about where a candidate likely stands on broad questions of taxation, regulation, and the role of government. Stripping the label can make races harder for residents to follow, may reduce turnout in down-ballot races, and can benefit incumbents who already have name recognition.
The Snohomish County Tribune reported in March that the proposal survived an 11-4 commission vote to remain under consideration through the public-hearing window.
Proposal 21: What a 4-Vote Supermajority Would Mean for Taxes
Today, a tax increase at the county level needs three out of five Snohomish County Council votes. Proposal 21 would raise that bar to four out of five — a supermajority.
In practice, this means a single “no” vote from a council member who opposes a tax could block the increase, even if three other members support it. Supermajority thresholds are a tool jurisdictions sometimes use to make new taxes harder to pass without broad consensus.
Supporters’ argument: Tax increases hit residents directly. Requiring broader council agreement before raising them ensures the increase has stronger support and is not passed on a narrow 3-2 split. The Washington Policy Center has been a long-standing proponent of supermajority requirements on tax votes at multiple levels of government.
Opponents’ argument: Local governments already operate under Initiative 747’s 1% annual property-tax revenue cap, which makes it structurally hard to raise enough money to keep up with the cost of services year over year. Layering a supermajority requirement on top of that cap could lock in fiscal arrangements that no longer match what the county actually needs, and could effectively let a minority of council members veto budgets a majority supports. The Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Association of Counties have historically pushed back on supermajority tax-vote rules at the local level for these reasons.
If Proposal 21 passes in November, it does not take effect retroactively — existing taxes stay where they are. The new rule would apply to council tax decisions from that point forward.
The Other Three Proposals (Not on Tonight’s Agenda)
For full context, here are the other three proposals the commission has advanced for the November ballot:
- Proposal 13 would write into the charter a requirement that the county budget process explicitly fund a defined list of “foundational government services” before any optional spending.
- Proposal 14 would create a charter-level budget stabilization fund (a rainy-day fund) and require four council votes to draw from it.
- Proposal 22 would require the county to maintain a public financial transparency portal where residents can see spending, contracts, and budget actuals.
These three are the focus of the May 20 hearing in Monroe and the May 27 hearing in Mountlake Terrace based on the press coverage cited above. The commission has not posted a binding hearing-by-hearing pairing, so written comments on any of the five proposals are accepted at any hearing.
What Happens After the Hearings
The commission has until May 29 to finalize the package. Once finalized, the package transmits to the Snohomish County Council, which holds its own additional public hearings. The Council can move the proposals forward to the November 2026 ballot as drafted, or it can flag issues and send them back for further commission consideration.
If proposals reach the November ballot, each one is voted on separately. A proposal can pass or fail individually — the five are not bundled.
What To Do Next
Attend tonight’s hearing (in person):
Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Arlington City Hall, 238 N. Olympia Avenue, Arlington, WA
Focus: Proposals 5 and 21
Upcoming hearings:
- May 20, 2026 — 5:30 p.m., Monroe
- May 27, 2026 — 5:30 p.m., Mountlake Terrace
Final hearing locations and any livestream link are posted on the commission’s page.
Submit written comments:
Email Commission Coordinator Peter Condyles at peter.condyles@snoco.org. Written comments on any of the five proposals are accepted ahead of the May 29 commission deadline.
Read the proposal memos directly:
Working memos on each proposal — including supporters’ arguments, opponents’ arguments, and proposed charter language — are posted at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520.
Watch the November ballot:
If the commission finalizes a package by May 29 and the Snohomish County Council moves it forward, you will see these as separate ballot measures in November 2026. A simple majority of those voting decides each measure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Snohomish County Charter?
It is the foundational governance document for Snohomish County — equivalent to a constitution. It defines how the county is structured, what its elected offices are, and how decisions are made. The charter is reviewed every ten years by a commission of fifteen voter-elected volunteers.
Who is on the 2026 Charter Review Commission?
Fifteen volunteer members elected by Snohomish County voters in November 2025. Chair Brett Gailey represents District 5; Vice Chair Mark James represents District 1. The commission has been meeting since January 2026.
Are Proposals 5 and 21 the only ones being reviewed?
No. The commission has advanced five proposals total. The other three (Proposals 13, 14, and 22) are scheduled for the May 20 Monroe and May 27 Mountlake Terrace hearings based on press coverage of the hearing-by-hearing focus.
If a proposal clears the commission’s May 29 deadline, does it automatically go to the November ballot?
No. After the commission finalizes the package, it transmits to the Snohomish County Council, which holds its own public hearings. The Council can move proposals forward to the November ballot or send them back for revision.
What happens if voters reject a proposal in November?
Nothing changes. The current charter language stays in place. The next regular opportunity to revise the rejected provision is the 2036 charter review.
Can I attend tonight’s hearing if I do not live in Arlington?
Yes. Public hearings of the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission are open to all residents of Snohomish County, regardless of city. Everett residents are welcome.
Where can I find the commission’s official position on each proposal?
The commission does not endorse “yes” or “no.” Its role is to draft and refine the charter language. Each proposal memo posted at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520 presents the language and discussion. Supporters’ and opponents’ statements are typically presented in the official Voters’ Pamphlet ahead of the November election.
Is there a livestream of tonight’s hearing?
The commission’s regular meetings at the county campus are typically recorded and posted to the county’s video archive. Public hearings held outside the county campus — like tonight’s in Arlington — may or may not be livestreamed; the commission’s page at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520 indicates whether remote viewing is available for each session.
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