Council raises concerns about Pierce County Charter Commission proposals, considers coordinated statement

Members of the Bonney Lake City Council on May 5 discussed a summary of proposed Pierce County Charter Commission amendments and whether the council should communicate a unified position to the public.

Councilmember Huebner flagged several items in the packet summary that she said merited attention: a proposal to change the Pierce County Sheriff from an elected to an appointed position; removing a two‑thirds vote requirement for new taxes in favor of a simple majority; term limits for county offices (three four‑year terms for the sheriff was cited in the summary); changes to initiative signature thresholds; and potential redrawing of districts to add council seats. "These are some of the things that I think we need to make sure the public and all of us are very aware of," Huebner said.

Councilmember Baldwin and others discussed that the Charter Commission is an elected body that will put amendments on the ballot if they qualify; councilmembers noted the commission’s process, public comment limitations at some meetings, and suggested the council could draft a letter expressing concerns or positions. Councilmembers also cautioned about procedural limits: taking an official city position on ballot measures may require separate public hearing steps and consultation with the city attorney. "You'll have to have the mayor check with legal and make sure...there may be some things that we have to do with the council making a statement," one council member said.

The council did not adopt a formal position during the meeting but directed staff to research legal constraints and suggested individual members could express their stances if appropriate. Councilmembers said they would identify a few priority amendments of concern and consider a coordinated communication after legal guidance.