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› Inquiry of the Week (08/28/00)
Inquiry of the Week (08/28/00)
Question:
May councilmembers utilize "council comment time" to make a political statement about their own candidacy?
Answer:
Making a statement during a council meeting about their own reelection campaign would be a violation of RCW 42.17.130, which prohibits the use of public facilities for election campaign purposes. This is true even if a councilmember wants to use his or her comment time to refute misstatements made about his or her record (if this is an issue in reelection). The City of Tacoma has adopted a rule of procedure for council meetings which provides:
Any person who has officially filed a declaration of candidacy for public office shall not appear before and speak to the Council during the period of their candidacy. Neither may any person appearing before the Council use the forum to promote or oppose any candidate for public office or any ballot proposition. . . . The Mayor shall retain the prerogative to determine whether a speaker is abusing the privilege to speak, and the Mayor shall have the right to suspend such person's right to speak, subject to the Council's right to overrule such decision. Further, any direct mention of a candidate's candidacy or a ballot proposition shall constitute grounds for immediate suspension of such person's right to speak at the Council Meeting.Tacoma Substitute Resolution No. 33398, amending Council Rule 10.3.C (6/11/96).