The politics behind Monday’s de-annexation measure vote

Published 5:04 pm Wednesday, April 10, 2013

During Monday’s City Council discussion of the motion to place de-annexation from the King County Library System on the ballot, members debated how to deal with the resolution.

The result was an argument that sounded like semantics but was really a bit of political gamesmanship that gave both sides a victory.

When the item came up on the agenda, some members of the council wanted a vote on the motion to definitively say the council had rejected de-annexation at this time, a position supported by all seven members.

However, while they did not support placing de-annexation on the ballot and wanted to end discussion on it, a group of council members did not want to vote on the resolution.

Council President Randy Corman led a group that wanted to just let it go, while council members Rich Zwicker and Don Persson wanted the council on record opposing de-annexation. Zwicker said he wanted the council to make a “very concluding statement made that this matter is closed.”

While the discussion made it seem as though the two options were the same, the reason for the debate was entirely political.

Had there been a vote on the issue, any council member on the losing end of the measure – in this case de-annexation – could not re-introduce the measure at a later date.

According to Robert’s Rules of Order, which form part of the council’s by-laws, only a council member on the winning end of a measure can re-introduce it, so while it could be reintroduced later if it failed Monday, only those who were opposed to de-annexation could re-introduce it, making it highly unlikely.

In the end, the council simply removed it from the agenda so no vote was taken, and re-affirmed in the motion that discussion on the matter was closed.

Now, because there was no official vote, the matter can now be brought up again at any time by any councilmember.