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BY JACINDA HOWARD [email protected] Federal Way residents, for the second time in as many years, may soon be asked to vote on whether they prefer to elect their mayor. On July 30, the city received a petition asking that a measure to change Federal Way’s city manager/ city council form of govern- ment to an elected mayor/ city council governance be placed on an upcoming bal- lot. King County Elections is currently verifying the 2,090 signatures, including that of Mayor Jack Dovey, submitted in support of the citizen-led legislation. Federal Way resident Roy Parke, and a group known as Accountability Comes to Town (ACT), submitted the initiative. Accountability is lacking from the city’s cur- rent form of government, he said. “e measure that I want is to instill checks and balances,” Parke said. “It’s something that the city needs.” Operating structure Since incorporation in 1990, Federal Way has operated under a city man- ager/city council structure. e manager oversees staff, introduces new and amended ordinances and presents budgets. His or her employment status and decisions are dependent on the city council. e seven council mem- bers are elected at large to serve four-year terms. e council hires the city man- ager. It must approve his or her actions by a majority vote before those actions are enacted. Council members choose, from within their ranks, a mayor to serve a two-year term. e mayor’s vote in matters is weighted equally to other members’ votes. However, he or she represents the city publicly, manages city council meet- ings and has the ability to call for other meetings of the council. Next steps A total of 1,568 signa- tures (10 percent) from Federal Way residents who voted in the last general election are needed for the initiative to move forward, King County Elections spokeswoman Megan Coppersmith said. e county plans to verify the signatures by the Aug. 7, she said. If enough valid signa- tures were collected, the item must be presented to voters within 180 days. Fol- lowing the county’s work, BY KYRA LOW [email protected] Firefighters are oſten on the front lines during flu season. is year, they will be getting a little extra protection. South King Fire and Rescue firefighters will be receiving flu kits this fall to help against the spread of H1N1, also known as swine flu. e kits contain protective eyewear, masks, gloves and thermometers. “e kits will be distributed to cen- tral personnel,” South King Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Kirsti Weaver said. “e thought was in the event of the flu season getting really bad, we wanted our personnel to be able to respond and to keep themselves and their families healthy. ese kits are designed to do that.” e kits are being purchased by the King County Fire District 26 Aid Fund. e group has been around since the 1970s, when the district was just the Des Moines area. Since Des Moines and SKFR merged, the aid fund has covered all firefighters in the district. Key Club members from the local high schools will be assembling the kits for the firefighters. e fund was originally used to purchase aid supplies for the depart- ment, Weaver said. However, for many years now, the department has purchased its own aid supplies. e aid fund now helps purchase other aid-related costs for the department coverage area, including automated external defibrillators (AEDs). e aid agency is run by a small board of Des Moines community members and operates on donations. Firefighters are also offered the typical flu vaccination each year. According to the Centers for Dis- ease Control, from April 15 to July 24, states reported a total of 43,771 confirmed and probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection. Of these cases reported, 5,011 people were hospitalized and 302 people died. On July 24, 2009, confirmed and probable case counts were dis- continued. . com FEDERAL WAY M IRROR YOU’LL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR | 50¢ SPORTS | Longacres Mile, the Northwest’s premier horse racing event, returns [14] TITO HINOJOS | Does American society suffer from too many hoes? [9] EDUCATION | TAF Academy marks first year of teaching with technology [3] VOL. 10, NO. 157 DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2009 OPINION | Roegner: King County executive race dominates primary election [6] Carrel: Empty big box stores and mullets [6] Elected mayor initiative rises from the ashes HOMICIDE | Man dies from gunshot wounds at a Federal Way 7-Eleven [5] JAN’S JOURNAL | Common ground for humans and fruit flies [16] Item could appear on November ballot [ more MAYOR page 8 ] Firefighters score swine flu protection Seattle Sounders FC players Brad Evans and Steve Zakuani show off some soccer skills July 31 at the Fred Meyer in Federal Way. For more photos, see page 14 in today’s Mirror. KYRA LOW, Federal Way Mirror Sounders fans get their kicks
