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The 2026 Snohomish County Charter Review Commission will be holding the final in a series of public hearings Wednesday, May 27 to gather public comments on the proposed final package of charter amendments. The meeting will be at Mountlake Terrace City Hall, 23204 58th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace.
The County Charter functions as the Constitution for the County. It establish the structure for County government and outlines the rules the County Executive, the County Council and the County administrative departments must abide by.
This review proposes changes to that charter.
The Commission must vote on the final package of amendments by May 29. The proposed amendments will then be transmitted to the County Council for additional public hearings and sent to the voters in the November election, according to a news release.
The Charter Review Commission has narrowed the proposals that could be sent to the ballot to five. These include:
Proposal 5: A proposal to make the offices of County Executive, County Prosecutor and County Councilmember nonpartisan.
Proposal 13: A proposal that would require the County Council when budgeting to allocate money for foundational government services first, and then other discretionary spending after.
Proposal 14: A proposal to create a county budget stabilization fund for emergencies. Usage of this money would require four affirmative votes from the County Council.
Proposal 21: A proposal to raise the threshold to four affirmative votes of the County Council to raise taxes.
Proposal 22: The creation and expansion of a county financial transparency portal.
More information on these proposals, along with Zoom link for the meetings, can be found at the Charter Review Commission website.
Snohomish County is one of seven charter counties in Washington state. The Snohomish County Charter was adopted in 1980 and amended in 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016.
In the November 2025 General Election, the voters of Snohomish County elected a 15-member Charter Review Commission tasked with reviewing the Snohomish County Charter to determine its adequacy and suitability of the needs of the county. The Charter Review Commission members serve an unpaid one-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
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