Satellite image of Richland, WA / Google Maps
Redistricting the city for neighborhood representation
A group of Richland residents have formed an initiative called A Better Richland, and are gathering signatures on a petition that will allow Richland citizens to vote on changing the Charter of the City of Richland to establish districts for the election of city councilmembers.
From the office of the Secretary of State:
In 1912, Washington became one of the first states to adopt the initiative and referendum process, thus securing the rights of citizens to make and remake their laws directly, and to provide a check over the decisions of their Legislature.
This means that our initiatives are in the hands of the people. Once it is certified as having a sufficient number of signatures of registered voters in the area (in this case, Richland), an initiative can then be submitted for a public vote at the next state general election.
According to A Better Richland, they started this process because Richland is the only city in the Tri-Cities which has a city council made up entirely of members who are at-large. That means that anyone in the city can run for city council no matter where they live. Here lies the issue, says A Better Richland:
“There are entire communities within Richland with no representation on council, and this lack of representation is reflected in the decisions Richland City Council makes. Having at least one member on council from your neighborhood, who you know is accountable to you, creates a more responsive and transparent governing body.”
Currently, the city council has a majority of members living in one geographical area of the city, south Richland. Five of the seven elected members live within a few blocks of each other.
The boundaries for the city of Richland stretch from Badger Mountain to Horn Rapids to Columbia Park. Richland is 43 square miles with a population of over 62,000. A city that size (and growing) has diverse needs and interests that should be represented in its city council.
A Better Richland states on their website:
“We need a city council which reflects the realities of Richland. Lack of representation on city council for entire sections of Richland means the needs and concerns of the majority of Richland residents are overlooked. It’s time to join together and create a council where members are elected by their neighbors in the neighborhoods where they live. Proximity to your constituents means greater accountability to us all.”
This is not the first time the citizens of Richland have been asked to add districts in their city. The last time was in 1971. The initiative was defeated at the time because of the provisions that council members had to run every two years, and because at that time, the in-district representation piece wasn’t included.
The population of the city in 1971 was about 26,000 people, and only about 6000 of them voted on the initiative. But Richland has grown both geographically and by population since then, and A Better Richland thinks it is time for a change.
Several people involved in the A Better Richland have raised the districting issue in the past as they have sought public office. One member of the committee, Shir Regev, made it a central message of her campaign when she ran for office back in 2019.
A Better Richland says that, while many members of the committee have championed more representative districts in Richland for a long time, none of them are planning to run for office again:
“This is not your average political undertaking. We aren’t putting forth a candidate; but rather, we are using the process available to us as Richland Residents in the Richland City Charter to create a more equitable style of governance.”
The aim of the initiative is to have five districts and two at-large positions. The area of the districts will not exceed 5% difference in population and will be redrawn as needed after the annual 10-year census. The districts are contiguous and not gerrymandered. The representatives who are elected will be from the districts they live in — making decisions that affect their own neighborhoods, not someone else’s.
The committee for A Better Richland is currently collecting signatures for the initiative, and time is short. 4,000 registered voters living in the city must sign by the end of September.
A Better Richland states on their website: “This is very much a team effort designed to bring together Richland residents from all walks of life and all corners of the city.”
A Better Richland holds sign-up events at the Richland Farmers Market and other locations around town. To volunteer or donate, go to https://www.abetterrichland.com/take-action-volunteer
A lifelong resident of Eastern Washington, Dori enjoys the outdoors, her family, and making good trouble. She has worked for many years in broadcasting and reporting and believes in the value of the 4th estate. She is a true community advocate that loves Washington.
