First of 2 Bellingham initiatives qualifies for the Nov. 7 general election. Here’s the issue
One of two Bellingham initiatives seeking higher wages and renter protections has enough petition signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot, the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office said.
Volunteers with Community First Whatcom submitted their petitions Tuesday for verification, and a “certificate of sufficiency” is being sent to Bellingham officials for the minimum wage measure, Auditor Diana Bradrick told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
It would require employers in Bellingham to pay $1 more than the Washington state minimum wage, which is $15.74.
The initiative needed a minimum 3,093 valid signatures.
Campaign manager Jace Cotton told The Herald that he’s hopeful the second measure will qualify, too, forcing the City Council to either enact the measures into law or place them on the ballot to let the voters decide.
“We feel really proud of the work of more than 300 volunteers to get this done. This gives us a lot of confidence,” Cotton said in an interview.
According to law, council members can adopt the measures as part of its municipal code, offer competing ballot measures, or place the measures on the ballot.
Council members must act by an Aug. 1 deadline.
Bradrick told The Herald that verification of signatures for the second measure should be finished early next week. That measure would require 120 days written notice of a rent increase above 8% and provide rental relocation assistance equal to three times the fair market rent.
The group submitted submitted 13,720 signatures for both initiatives combined. If at least 3,093 signatures on the second petition are valid, Community First Whatcom will bring both measures to the City Council, as early as its July 10 meeting.
“It’s an opportunity to make our case for the first time in a public forum,” said Cotton, who is also a candidate for the City Council’s at-large position.
Community First Whatcom raised and spent nearly $21,000 during its petition drive, according to filings with the state Public Disclosure Commssion.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 12:10 PM.
