Group launches campaign to change city's form of government

A citizens group has formally launched its campaign to change Lynnwood’s form of government.

People for a Better Lynnwood wants to do away with the mayor-city council model and instead hire a professional city manager to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations. Voters will decide on the issue on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Rod Siddell, a former city employee, is the campaign chairman.

“We, the residents of Lynnwood, are fed up with business as usual at City Hall,” Siddell said. “It’s time to move Lynnwood forward with a professional manager who is not bound by the whims of politics.”

People for a Better Lynnwood believes replacing a voter-elected mayor with a council-hired city manager would bring greater efficiency, accountability and responsiveness to city government.

Under a city-manager form of government, a council-hired manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city. That manager reports to the voter-elected council, which has the power to hire and fire the city manager. The council then would elect a mayor from its ranks, to serve a largely symbolic role for the city.

Several Washington cities, including Mill Creek, Bothell, Kenmore, Mountlake Terrace and Shoreline, operate under a council-manager form of government.

The group is holding an informational meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 28, at Lynnwood Bowl and Skate.

  1. I happened upon your website while searching for information about other forms of city government.  From my experience, the council-hired city manager does not work any better than what you currently have unless the professional city manager has greater powers than the council.  It is just as easy to have a council control a city manager as anything else.

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