PORT TOWNSEND – The chief proponent of a petition drive asking Port Townsend voters to abandon the City Council-city manager form of government said he now expects to submit at least 60 more signatures to the county Auditor’s Office by Friday.
“That would give us the margin of error,” said longtime Port Townsend hot dog stand owner John Sheehan, who so far has submitted 404 signatures certified as those of valid registered voters by the elections officials in the Auditor’s Office.
Sheehan needs to gather 455 signatures of valid Port Townsend voters by mid-August to get the issue on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Sheehan had hoped to gather all signature by the end of last week, but had only gathered 35 late Friday. He said he is focused on making sure the signatures are from registered Port Townsend voters.
The petition asks those signing it if they support reinstating a strong mayor form of government, abolishing the existing council-manager form.
Sheehan has owned a hot dog stand, Dogs A Foot, across the street from City Hall at the corner of Madison and Water streets for 22 years and has lived in the city for 35 years.
He contends that the current form of government is too expensive and does not need a bureaucrat to run it.
The council-manager form of government has been in place since voters approved it in 1998, and Sheehan believes it’s time to review it.
In a mayor-council form of government, an elected mayor serves as the city’s chief administrative officer, and a council serves as the municipality’s legislative body.
While the council has the power to formulate and adopt city policies, the mayor is responsible for carrying them out, according to the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington.
The mayor presides over council meetings, but does not vote on council business, except in the case of a tie-breaker.
Mayor Mark Welch, a lifetime Port Townsend resident, sees other options to reverting back to a strong-mayor form of government.
The mayor said he believes a professional manager is a must.
