Constantine and Hague thank participants in new process to appoint a King County Executive

May 19, 2009

Summary

Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee and Municipal League helped vet candidates

Story

Calling the process to appoint a new King County Executive “a very public and transparent discussion,” Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Dow Constantine and Jane Hague today publicly thanked participants in the Municipal League review and the Council’s Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee for volunteering their time and effort.

The Council yesterday appointed interim County Executive Kurt Triplett to continue full-time in that post through November. Triplett was chief of staff to former Executive Ron Sims, who resigned May 8 following his own appointment as Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Triplett will serve as King County Executive until the results of the general election are certified in late November.

“I want to thank the members of the Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee—especially co-chairs Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke and former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice—for their hard work and diligent service to King County,” said Council Chair Constantine in his remarks at the May 18 Council meeting. “I also want to thank the Municipal League of King County for its work in screening the four candidates nominated by the Council.”

“The work done by the Blue-Ribbon Committee allowed this to be an open and transparent process,” said Jane Hague, Council Vice Chair and sponsor of legislation creating the Blue Ribbon Committee process. “I would like to thank each member of the committee as well as the Municipal League of King County for their leadership and their time in assisting the council with this important appointment.”

Triplett, former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer, and former County Councilmembers Louise Miller and Steve Hammond were the four candidates reviewed. Each County Councilmember was allowed to submit two nominees, with those candidates nominated by at least three Councilmembers eligible for further review.

King County voters last November approved an amendment to the King County Charter making the offices of Executive, Assessor, and County Council non-partisan. When those offices were partisan, vacancies were filled by Council appointment from a list of nominees submitted by the precinct committee officers from the same political party as the previous officeholder.

“We were in uncharted territory in replacing Executive Sims, so I especially appreciate these prominent citizens stepping forward and helping us to work through this new process,” said Constantine. “I think this can serve as the model for a new standing process to make appointments to non-partisan King County offices.”