von Reichbauer hosts County Council in Federal Way to discuss County Charter

The city of Federal Way played host to the Metropolitan King County Council and more than 75 county residents on June 16 as a special Town Hall meeting was held at the Federal Way Community Center.

The Town Hall, a special meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, examined the final recommendations of the 2007-2008 King County Charter Review Commission, a citizen panel that has met 55 times over the past year and has proposed updates to the county charter for consideration for the November ballot.

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the 12 proposed charter amendments from the citizen commission as well as any other issues the attendees wanted to discuss.

“Town hall meetings provide an opportunity for the public to come face to face with their elected County Councilmembers outside the courthouse and inside the neighborhoods which they represent,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, whose district includes Federal Way. “I was pleased to see so many local residents come out and join us in this important discussion. Considering how great the weather was, it really shows the dedication to civic engagement that runs through the South King County region.”

The King County Charter is the foundation of county government and serves a role similar to that played by the U.S. Constitution. Voters who adopted the County Charter in 1968 provided for a citizen commission to be assembled every 10 years to review and propose charter updates to the County Council. The Commission delivered its proposals to the Council on May 30.

Each Town Hall is a special meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, the only standing committee on which all nine members serve. It considers legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire Council.