King County
Charter Amendment Number 5,
Making the King County Sheriff
an Appointed Position.
In 1996, county voters
amended the charter
to make the King County sheriff
an elected position.
The sheriff is responsible
for bargaining
with represented employees
and the county Department
of Public Safety on all matters,
except for
compensation and benefits,
which are negotiated
by the county executive.
If adopted,
Charter Amendment Number 5 would
return the Office of Sheriff
to an appointed position.
The county executive
would appoint,
and the county council
would confirm the sheriff.
The executive and the council
would be required to consider
stakeholder input
during the selection,
appointment,
and confirmation process,
and all bargaining responsibilities
would be placed
with the county executive.
Hello.
I'm Pastor Anja Helmon,
And I'm frustrated.
George Floyd's death
made obvious the need
for real police reform.
Not just in Minnesota,
or halfway around the country,
but here, in King County.
But how do we enact real reform when
our Sheriff's Office
is beholden
to special interest groups
like the Police Guild?
Reform is nearly impossible
when the sheriff is controlled
by electoral maneuvering
dominated by
special interest groups.
A vote in favor of
King County Charter Amendment Number 5
would allow our sheriff
to once again not be a politician,
not be influenced
by special interests.
That's why
the Charter Review Commission,
a volunteer panel
of civic leaders representing
many different viewpoints,
overwhelmingly recommends
returning to
an appointed sheriff.
An appointed sheriff
would be hired and approved
by the county council,
based off of
professional qualifications.
History shows
an appointment process
leads to better
qualified sheriffs.
Bellevue, Renton, and Kent,
among others,
hire from a nationwide
pool of candidates.
This is a proven system
that has brought accountability
to cities in our county
for decades.
An elected sheriff
limits the candidate pool
to local deputies
seeking to launch
their political careers.
I am convinced
now is the time for change.
This is our chance for reform.
Vote Yes on King County
Charter Amendment 5.
We deserve
a professional,
transparent, accountable
sheriff's department.
Vote yes.
I'm Captain Stan Seo,
asking you to vote no
on Charter Amendment 5.
This amendment would take away
your right to elect the sheriff.
If this passes,
it would be very dangerous
for the public
because it would give
the politically-motivated county council
total authority
over the Sheriff's Office.
There is not
a single appointed sheriff
in this state.
Every single county
in the state of Washington
elects its own sheriff.
Charter Amendment 5
would take away
our right to vote
and give politicians
the power to handpick a sheriff
who will do
what the council wants.
An elected, nonpartisan sheriff
protects our system
of checks and balances
by acting as a counterweight
to the county executive and council.
Currently, the executive
and county council
have the important and powerful
budget oversight
of the sheriff's office.
If the Executive and Council
are given the authority
to appoint a Sheriff as well,
the office would be
totally controlled
by politicians
with no background
or expertise
in law enforcement.
The Sheriff's Office serves
over 2.1 million residents
of King County
and even more
beyond the county borders
with search and rescue missions.
There is no justification for
nine politically-motivated politicians
taking away the rights
of over 2 million residents
to elect their sheriff.
Currently, if an elected
nonpartisan sheriff
fails to serve
the community's interests,
voters can remove
that sheriff from office
through the democratic process
of voting.
There is no
greater accountability
than the sheriff
to be elected by
the people they serve.
An appointed sheriff
would answer to politicians,
not the people.
I urge you to vote no
on Charter Amendment 5.