Spirited testimony from both sides of the Strong Mayor issue doesn't prevent Jerry from catching a few winks during last month's debate. Does low voter turnout in Tuesday's election indicate that Federal Way voters are uninterested in the Strong Mayor debate? Or will outstanding absentee ballots turn the number in ACT's favor? The measure to reform Federal Way's political system is currently failing by more than 500 votes, or seven percentage points. Photo by Seth Bynum.
With all 93 precincts reporting their ballots, the initiative to transform the process by which Federal Way chooses its mayor appears likely to fail.
Spearheaded by a group called Accountability Comes to Town (ACT), the movement proposed to reshape the city's political structure by allowing voters to elect a strong mayor that would serve as the chief executive of the city.
The group advocates for more accountability in local government and more voter input in selecting the city's leader.
ACT President Roy Parke said the organization gathered more than 3,200 signatures needed to place the initiative on Tuesday's ballot.
The city currently operates under a City Council-City Manager system, with the mayor-a primarily ceremonial role-elected from within the seven-member council. A city manager selected from a nation-wide search serves as the chief executive of the city and executes the city council's vision for the community.
Federal Way Works, a group that backed the "Vote No" campaign, contends that the city's current political system shields Federal Way from whimsical politicos, boss-style governance and unqualified city executives.
They contend the current system exemplifies the democratic process by putting in place a functioning system of check and balances.
Nearly 20 percent of Federal Way's 38,579 registered voters turned out February 19, a low number that fails to mirror the excitement of the heated debate generated in the weeks leading up to the vote.
While not a significant deficit at the polls, the Strong Mayor measure is failing by 509 votes, 3,321 to 3,830.
The votes from a large number of outstanding mail-in ballots could change the final outcome, however.
King County will update its election results at 4:30 p.m. today.
