Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate Bill 5370 would let port districts ask voters to extend commissioner terms from four to six years
Summary
Sen. Harris and port officials told the Local Government Committee that allowing port districts to put a ballot measure before voters to lengthen commissioner terms could reduce turnover and help continuity on long-term port projects; the change would take effect only if a majority of district voters approve a ballot proposition.
Senate Bill 5370 would permit port districts now governed by four-year commissioner terms to put a ballot proposition to voters asking to extend those terms to six years.
The measure, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Harris, was introduced Tuesday to the Senate Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs Committee with a staff briefing from Rohan Bhattacharya, committee staff. Bhattacharya summarized the bill’s mechanics: if a petition signed by at least 10% of the district’s voters in the last general election is submitted and validated, the proposition goes on the next general election ballot; if a simple majority approves it, elected commissioners would serve six-year terms.
Sen. Harris said the bill…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
