Switch to district council seats in Kent for fair representation

Activists in Kent are agitating to switch its City Council from at-large to district representation. Currently, all seven seats on the council are elected at-large, or citywide.

With 136,000 residents, Kent is the third largest city in King County. The reformers want to place an initiative on the November ballot that, if approved, would create five district seats and two at-large seats.

There are some advantages to such a change, and the campaign to gather 10,500 signatures is worth supporting. Council by district could ideally improve voter participation since there would be a greater chance that voters would actually know those seeking office in their district; it would reduce the cost of running a campaign, thus making getting elected more feasible for those who have the passion and qualifications to become a council member but lack the financial resources. Districts also would narrow the scope of accountability for elected officials.

While at-large voting schemes often weaken the ability of Black and other candidates of color to get elected in jurisdictions where white voting-age residents outnumber others, that’s not the case in Kent.

Of the seven current council members, three are Black, representing a city that’s about 13% Black. Instead, the Kent for Districts campaign supporters point to a council where most of the representatives come from just a few neighborhoods. That’s a problem that needs a solution.

Districts would indeed bring more geographic diversity and likely give constituents greater access to their representatives, whether it’s engaging with them at a chance encounter at a neighborhood store, or running across them during an afternoon walk.

“Those who don’t live in the same neighborhood (as their council member) may never see their council member short of going to council meetings,” Tony Fairfax, a redistricting consultant who helped Everett switch from all at-large seats to mostly districts in 2021, told The Times editorial board.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said a mix of two at-large and five district seats makes sense for her city of 112,000 residents. That is the configuration Kent for Districts is seeking.

“Districts look within their own walls. At-large looks at the rest of the city and at issues like housing. I do think districts help with community voice. We have a much more engaged community,” she said.

Proponents of the change in Kent have until midsummer to gather the required signatures. If the proposal makes the ballot, district boundaries should be drawn to keep neighborhoods and communities of interest as intact as possible.

It’s refreshing to see Kent residents take an interest in their local government. Fair representation across all corners of the city is a goal worth pursuing. Residents not registered to vote should do so to fully participate in their community.