City Hall Capitulates to Charter Reformers
Facing 1,600 petitioners, Tacoma city councilors vote to place commission government proposal on the ballot rather than face a forced election later.
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Faced by a committee from the City Club with over 1,600 petitioners asking for a special election to revise the city charter, the city council last night, 11 to 4, voted to submit and call a special election. 'We have got to do it and we might as well do it now as wait two weeks and then be forced to do it,' said Councilman Doud. 'They have the names on their petitions and we will have to call the election under the law when they are presented. Personally, I am frank to say I favor the commission plan of government.' While some council members like Brand, Turnbull, and Armstrong opposed the move, others like Jamieson argued that the decision belonged to the people, leading the council to ultimately yield to the pressure of the organizers.
“We have got to do it and we might as well do it now as wait two weeks and then be forced to do it.”
Tacoma’s early 20th-century transition to the commission form of government was part of a national 'Good Government' movement aimed at curbing corruption. Today, Tacoma continues to wrestle with its structure of governance, reflecting the perennial tension between professional municipal administration and direct democratic oversight.
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