City of Everett Proposition No. 263 — Amendment to Everett City Charter Section 8.3 (Snohomish County)

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Everett voters

What it does
City of Everett Proposition No. 263 Amendment to Everett City Charter Section 8.3 The amendment to Section 8.3 would revise the City's Civil Service rules so that the Civil Service Commission's responsibilities are consistent with the requirements of state law. Should this amendment to the Everett City Charter be enacted into law?
A YES vote means
Everett's Civil Service Commission rules would be revised to be consistent with state law.
A NO vote means
Everett's charter Civil Service rules would stay as they are.
Needed to pass
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean
Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

  • State law requires cities to adopt Civil Service rules for hiring police officers and firefighters.
  • Everett's Charter goes further: its three-person Civil Service Commission oversees hiring, promotions and firings for most City positions listed in the Charter.
  • Under the current system, many positions are filled from eligibility lists set before specific openings; the pamphlet's argument for the measure says those lists can stay in effect for up to three years and new applicants cannot be added.

If it passes

  • The Charter would require Civil Service rules only for hiring police officers and firefighters, matching state law.
  • All other city hiring would still have to follow other state law and any union contract requirements.
  • The explanatory statement says this would let the City adopt newer hiring practices while keeping civil service oversight of police and fire hiring.

Who would notice

Applicants for City of Everett jobs and City employees outside the police and fire departments. Police and fire hiring would stay under Civil Service. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

Everett's Charter requires a Charter Review Committee every 10 years. This change is that committee's recommendation; the City Council sent it to the ballot on July 15, 2026, one of five charter amendments.

In the news

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

According to the explanatory statement in the Snohomish County voters' guide, state law requires cities to adopt Civil Service rules for hiring police officers and firefighters, but Everett's Charter goes further and applies Civil Service procedures to most City positions.

The statement says Proposition 263 adopts the Charter Review Committee's recommendation to require Civil Service rules only for police and firefighter hiring. Other hiring would still have to follow state law and any union contract requirements.

The Everett Herald reported that the Committee called the current broader language redundant and said the change would let the City hire faster.

The voters' guide prints a statement in favor; no statement against was submitted.

Put on the ballot by Everett City Council, July 15, 2026 (one of five charter amendments sent to the ballot, per the Everett Herald; the vote count wasn't found because the city's website blocked automated access); ballot title approved by the City Attorney's Office August 3, 2026.

From official source.

In the news

Who's for and against

Supporting (YES)

Opposing (NO)

No organized campaign found.

A sourced selection, not a complete list. Who supports a measure is listed so you can see who is behind each side; SpectrumVote takes no position.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Everett Proposition No. 263 mean?
Everett's Civil Service Commission rules would be revised to be consistent with state law.
What does a NO vote on City of Everett Proposition No. 263 mean?
Everett's charter Civil Service rules would stay as they are.
Would police and fire hiring change?
No. The Charter would still require Civil Service rules for hiring police officers and firefighters.
Why did the committee recommend it?
The Herald reports the committee called the current process redundant, since city recruitment already requires merit-based hiring, and said the change would speed hiring.
Is there an argument against in the voters' pamphlet?
No. The Auditor's office says no one in the city came forward to write one.
How many votes does City of Everett Proposition No. 263 need to pass?
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on City of Everett Proposition No. 263?
SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?
The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Snohomish County ballot.

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