Richland Voters to Decide on New City Council Election System

RICHLAND, Wash. (KEPR) — A little more than a month before the general election, Richland voters will decide whether to change the way city council members are elected.

Measure No. 1 on the ballot could shift the city from an at-large system to a mixed system with district-based seats.

Currently, all seven members of the Richland City Council are elected by voters citywide. If approved, Measure No. 1 would create five district-based positions and two at-large positions.

Supporters argue the change would better reflect the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

"Horn Rapids is next to a big industrial site, and that’s a whole different set of issues than Badger Mountain, which is surrounded by vineyards and being developed with new housing," said Randy Slovic, a volunteer organizer for A Better Richland.

However, opponents to the measure argue that the proposed system isn’t necessary for Richland, claiming the city's issues are shared citywide and don’t require a district-based system.

"We don’t have this extremely diverse population like you do in San Francisco. The issues are very similar — water, crime, homelessness, roads," said Pat Holton, who's also running for Richland City Council Position 3.

Holton also expressed concerns about how large the districts might be, particularly in North Richland, which includes the Horn Rapids area.

If Measure No. 1 passes, a Districting Commission would be created to define district boundaries to ensure fairness.

Ballots will be mailed to voters by Oct. 17, with a deadline to submit them by mail or at government-approved drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day.