Snohomish County Proposition 3 seeks nonpartisan local offices

Todd Welch, a former Lake Stevens City Council member and current Everett Planning Commissioner, is advocating for the passage of Proposition 3 on the upcoming Snohomish County ballot.

Proposition 3 proposes making the county executive, prosecuting attorney, and county council nonpartisan positions, with a phase-in period ending in 2030. Welch argues that local government should focus on competence rather than party affiliation, noting that many other local offices, such as school boards and city councils, already operate without party labels. He cites the 1996 decision to remove party labels from several Snohomish County offices and King County’s 2008 transition to nonpartisan county offices as precedents for the measure.